


Unconditional

by hopefulfeathers



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:21:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24717493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopefulfeathers/pseuds/hopefulfeathers
Summary: After having served six years at Hyperion Heights Correctional Facility, Regina is finally reunited with her family. Now with newfound freedom, Regina struggles to reintegrate back into Storybrooke's small town society as well as into her own family. As a result, she, Robin, and the boys must come to terms with the past and make amends for the future. Forgiveness and understanding is key.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Henry Mills, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Huntsman | Sheriff Graham, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Maleficent, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Comments: 29
Kudos: 45





	1. Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well and hanging in there through all the craziness. I've wanted to write an OQ prison AU for some time now and am finally going to give it a go!
> 
> Before we start, just a quick DISCLAIMER, cause I feel it would be important to address: In light of the recent events regarding the police and police brutality, this fic is in no way meant to make a political statement about the United States criminal justice system or law enforcement. It is merely an exploration of Regina and Robin's relationship and Regina's experience when placed in this situation. As always, the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ+ community have my absolute full support. And I stand with all those who struggle to make their voices heard.

The harsh rays of the sun blind Regina as she steps through the doors into what has turned out to be a beautiful spring morning. Behind her, the heavy metal door slams shut, that telltale buzz sounding as its secure locking mechanism kicks in. Walking further from the facility’s premises, Regina shields her eyes as she scans the adjacent parking lot for a familiar face. The amount of light is just as overwhelming though far more welcoming than that of the vibrating fluorescent lights, which the brunette had grown accustomed to over the years.

It’s still early, nine o’clock, yet a handful of visitors, various loved ones, navigate their way around Regina as they move towards the building’s entrance. The brunette can’t help but smile as she is reminded she’ll no longer have to communicate with her friends and family, on the phone from behind a glass window, in such a restrictive manner. Now, she can finally walk right up to those she loves and embrace them, feel their warmth in her arms.

And that is exactly what Regina does the moment she spots him, the love of her life. Her Robin. With a wide yet tearful smile, Regina takes him into her arms. Tightly squeezing the love of her life, she lets a few droplets run down her cheeks and onto his shoulders as she breathes in the scent of forest, of pine, for which she had yearned for so long. Reluctantly, Regina pulls back to gaze into glistening blue eyes. She finally has the chance to really take in the features of her husband’s face. Her heart wrenches as she surveys the newly developed laugh lines, the slight crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes, the bits of silver speckled throughout his dirty blonde hair. It’s all too bittersweet.

“I’ve missed you,” Regina whispers as she raises her hand to tenderly cup Robin’s cheek. Freshly cut stubble scratches gently against her quivering palm.

Robin smiles gently as tears of his own slide down his cheeks. Regina wipes them away with the pads of her fingers. “I know,” he chokes out. HIs Adam’s apple bobs up and down.

“I love you,” Regina says before she presses her lips to his, indulging in their first kiss after years of being apart.

“And I, you,” Robin hums against her lips. As she can feel him smile, Regina pulls back with a watery smile of her own. He smiles that signature smile, the very one that first stole her heart, dimples and all. “What do you say?” Robin asks, combing his fingers through Regina’s long wavy locks, which had grown far past her previous shoulder length. “Shall we?”

“Yes.” Regina breathes out a laugh. “We shall. Let’s go home.”

~ ~ ~

As Robin’s truck pulls out of the parking lot and starts down the freeway, Regina can see the complex and its large sign bearing the words, “Hyperion Heights Correctional Facility” fade quickly into the distance. It is in this moment, that she finally feels a huge weight lifting off her shoulders. While she recognizes that there is much more work ahead, Regina allows herself to enjoy having been awarded the first step into freedom.

“So, how does it feel?” Robin asks, breaking the silence as they drive eastbound, headed back through the Heights. As he keeps an eye on the road, he maintains a reassuring hand on Regina’s thigh.

Regina sighs. She shakes her head against her seat’s headrest, eyes raised towards the ceiling. “Well, I just got out of jail. I’m reunited with the love of my life—“ Robin smirks slightly. “—I’m about to come home and see my kids whom I haven’t been with for more than half a decade, in a small town where every single person knows about my incarceration.” Robin shakes his head as she blows out a long breath. “Other than that, I’m great.”

Robin chuckles softly in response as he slides his hand up and down Regina’s leg.

“I just hope that they, the kids, still…”

“Love you?” Robin supplies.

Regina nods, turning her head to stare out the window. Downtown Heights draws ever closer as buildings and cars rush by.

“Of course they do,” Robin is quick to reassure as he is met with silence. “Roland has been counting down the days, driving us all crazy asking about you, and telling us all of the things he wants to do with you when you get home.”

Regina smiles slightly. Tears well up once more in her eyes as she thinks of her precious little knight. “And Henry?”

Now, it’s Robin’s turn to be silent. Frowning, Regina turns her head and focuses her gaze back onto her husband. “Is he—”

“He still won’t touch the subject,” Robin sighs, eyeing Regina in his periphery.

“… Oh.”

“He’ll come around. We just need to give him time.”

“You know I never meant to hurt him, to hurt any of you.” Regina shakes her head. “And I would sell my soul for the chance to go back and do it all over again—the right way.”

“I know,” Robin says with a sad smile. “But we’re here now. And we’ll get through it just like we got through those six years.”

“I don’t know how you’ve managed to keep up your optimism,” Regina sighs.

Robin shrugs. “To be truthful, it wasn’t easy. But I had to—for the kids. And for you.”

“Me?” The brunette scoffs, “You should’ve given up on me a long time ago.”

Robin snorts. “Not a chance. You’re my whole world.” He gives a slight smirk. “Not to mention, our children would kill me if I even dared.”

Regina can’t help but roll her eyes. “Now you’re being ridiculous.”

“I really do mean it though. We’ve always been and always will be in this together. No matter what happens. You have my word.”

Robin’s words linger in the air as the car falls silent. Regina turns her attention back to the downtown area that soundlessly rushes by while Robin turns on the radio for some mindless chatter. It’s about another twenty more minutes until they make it through towards the city’s outskirts. They now head northbound towards the first suburb.

Storybrooke is a quaint little town. Everything is located almost entirely within walking distance of one another. It’s almost a little utopia, as its citizens would describe it: white picket fences, rows of blooming rosebushes and neatly trimmed hedges. The town’s center is comprised mostly of Granny’s Diner, the central hub of the town, and the signature library and clock tower. As their car rolls on by, Regina takes a long look up at the latter structure. It appears the clock has finally been fixed after having been stuck reading the time 8:15 six years ago. As they make their way further into the town, the brunette notices a few subtle changes here and there, such as Gepetto’s (or Pete as they call him) new sign hanging above the front door to his wood shop. However, most of the town has stayed pretty much the same, holding true to its reputation as the town that’s frozen in time.

It’s just about lunchtime when Robin and Regina pull up into the driveway of their home, a beautifully designed, classic colonial style house that has been in Regina’s family for generations. It is slightly secluded from the rest of the houses in the neighborhood, with a fence and tall hedges lining the perimeter for privacy. Regina’s eyes are glued to the front door the moment it comes into view, and continue to be even as Robin kills the truck’s engine. As the motor dies down, the temperature in the car seemingly plummets. Regina is not even sure what she was expecting, if she was expecting anything at all. Though, she can’t help the small pang of disappointment at the fact that her children haven’t come running out the door with their arms open wide.

“Are you all right?” Robin asks gently, laying a hand on hers. The gesture causes Regina to realize that her own hands are sweaty and clasped together, nails biting into her palms.

“I don’t know,” the brunette answers quietly. “I don’t know if I can face them.”

“I’m right here.”

A ghost of a smile wipes past Regina’s lips as she feels Robin squeeze her hands. As they walk up the front steps, Regina tries in vain to tamper her pounding heart. The sound of the key jingling in the lock is like nails on a chalkboard to her. With her anxiety amplified, so is everything else.

“Mama!” A voice cries as soon as the door opens.

After nearly jumping out of her skin, Regina then melts as she sees her now eight-year-old boy running full tilt from the kitchen, making a beeline towards her. She is nearly knocked over as she kneels down to catch him in a giant hug.

“Roland,” Regina breathes, squeezing her eyes shut as she clutches her child to herself. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, Mommy,” Roland replies before letting out a soft giggle. “That’s really tight.”

Regina pulls back, holding the boy at arm’s length. She marvels at how much he has grown, while at the same time struggling to subdue the pain of knowing just how much of his life she’d already missed. After all, the last time she was even able to hold him properly he was only two. Now, he has grown into such a young man, favoring his father in many ways—the dimples being one of them. His short wispy brunette locks have now grown into a full crop of curls. “You’ve gotten so big,” Regina breathes, teary-eyed, “You’re such a handsome young man.”

“I’m eight now!” Roland exclaims proudly.

Regina laughs softly through her tears, another pang of agony slicing through her chest at the fact that he’d think she would forget. “I know, baby,” she says as she embraces him again, “I know.”

Over Roland’s shoulder, Regina looks up to notice her oldest son standing a short distance away, silently surveying the two. “Henry,” she breathes, climbing to her feet. She approaches her (no longer little) prince with Roland hanging onto her waist. Shaking her head, she forces herself not to fall apart right then and there. “You’re so grown up.”

Henry’s gaze is stoic and it sends an agonizing pulse right through her heart.

“Please,” Regina whispers, holding out her arms. “Let me hug you.”

But Henry remains silent, his eyes distant as his fists remain clenched at his sides. It’s apparent that he doesn’t know what to do. Regina doesn’t either. She remains locked in her place just a few feet away, her own eyes begging for something—if not forgiveness—anything. But all her son can manage to do is take one step back, two, three, before running up the stairs. The movement spurs Regina into action but she is stopped by a gentle hand around her bicep.

“Give him time,” Robin softly reminds, “He needs to let this all sink in.”

Swallowing thickly, Regina nods, continuing to fix her eyes on the open stairwell.

The family moves into the kitchen with Roland leading the way to find Belle, their friend and babysitter, respectfully waiting with a gentle smile on her face.

“Regina,” she says, standing up from the table to give the brunette a warm hug. “Welcome back. We’ve missed you so much.”

Regina forces a smile. “Thank you, Belle. For everything that you’ve done to help us out.”

“Of course,” Belle answers. While she means well, the look of pity in her eyes is all too infuriating. Though, Regina supposes now that she’ll have to get used to it when she’ll inevitably have to face the rest of the town and its looks of either pity or disdain.

The brunette’s frustration abates a little as Robin’s arm slips around her waist. “We owe so much to you for helping keep us together,” Robin acknowledges.

“Of course, it was no trouble at all. And please, let me know if you need anything else,” Belle says, picking up her purse. “I’d love to stay but I’m afraid I have to go and grab my father’s medicine.”

Robin nods. “Absolutely. And give my best to him.”

“Thanks!” Belle smiles as she turns to Regina once more. “And welcome again. We’re so happy you’re back with us,” she bids before heading for the door.

As it slams shut, the family is once again shrouded in a chilled atmosphere, left to begin picking up the pieces.

~ ~ ~

The rest of the afternoon crawls by, consisting of unpacking what little belongings Regina had kept in the prison and readjusting to the little changes in the house that she hadn’t stepped foot in for so long. Like the town itself, there were subtle changes only she would notice as significant. A new end table placed here, a lamp moved over there. The biggest change Regina finds are the closets, which she used to work tirelessly to keep tidy, that are now overstuffed with the children’s belongings neither folded nor sorted in the correct manner. Very quickly, the brunette had learned to cautiously open closet doors, for almost every single time, she’d been bombarded by an avalanche of, for example, scarves and hats mixed in with boardgames and other assorted toys that definitely did not belong there in the first place.

“Sorry, the closets got a bit out of hand,” Robin says, witnessing his wife down on her knees, cleaning up the latest landslide.

Regina snorts, shaking her head as she holds up a lone sock amidst a small pile of coats. “Out of hand would be an understatement,” she remarks.

Robin chuckles as he squats down and collects the sock from her hand. “Do you really need to do this right now?” He asks, “Maybe you should relax.”

“I’m fine,” Regina sighs, rolling her eyes, “And you don’t need to be hovering over me like you’ve been doing for the past hour.”

“I just don’t want you to overwhelm yourself. I admit we weren’t as organized as before but you don’t need to make it your job to fix it the moment you come home.”

“That’s exactly it though, Robin.” Wide dark eyes flick up at Robin. “This was supposed to be my job—for the past six years! It was my job to keep up this household, be a mother to my kids, be a wife to you.”

Her husband gazes at her with a saddened expression as he takes her hands in his. “Regina, I know. And I know you’re trying to make up for those lost years but that’s next to impossible. And trying will only frustrate and break you down.” He takes in Regina’s now watery, heartbroken expression. “I know, darling, that this isn’t what you want to hear but those six years aren’t the be all end all. You’re back with us now, which means that you finally have the chance to build a future. Wouldn’t it be more productive to try and focus on that?”

Regina blows out a breath, sliding a hand from Robin’s to wipe at her eyes. “Since when did you start getting lessons from Archie?” She comments with another small snort.

Robin shrugs a shoulder. “Therapy sessions have been helping.”

Regina doesn’t reply. As he pulls her up with him to stand, she gazes at him again with that all too familiar guilty expression. It’s something that Robin doesn’t address. He simply wraps an arm around her shoulder and presses a kiss to the side of her head.

“Why don’t we watch some mindless tv?” He suggests, squeezing Regina’s hand as he leads her back downstairs into the living room. “And how about ordering a pizza for tonight? The boys would like that…”

~ ~ ~

All around, there is silence at the dinner table as the family dines on a large pepperoni pizza, fresh from Granny’s takeout. As everyone munches on their respective piece, Regina can’t help but notice the boys’, especially Henry’s, attempts to avoid all eye contact with her whatsoever. Even Roland is unusually quiet, most likely sensing the awkwardness. With both of their eyes perpetually fixed on their plates, Regina can only observe the tops of their heads. The very sight is very close to putting her in a foul mood. But thankfully, her mounting frustration is soon interrupted.

“So what happens now, Papa, now that Mama’s back?” Roland suddenly asks in a small voice. 

Robin swallows his piece before answering. “Well, my boy, things may be different and it’ll be a bit of an adjustment,” he states diplomatically, “But as long as we stick together, we’ll get through it.” 

Off to the side, Henry rolls his eyes. Frankly, Regina can’t blame him.

“Sounds awfully like one of Mary Margaret’s speeches,” she remarks. 

“Speaking of which, she wanted to hold a get-together for your homecoming at Granny’s.” 

Regina rolls her eyes, groaning, “Of course she did.” 

Robin chuckles. “I convinced her otherwise. Told her that you’d be tired. To be frank, we all could use a nice long rest.”

“Also the fact that a party for me just doesn’t feel right,” Regina mumbles.

Robin’s silent response stings a bit. Though, the brunette can’t really blame him. No matter the fact that she is finally able to reunite with her family is worth celebrating, the circumstances that brought her into this position in the first place can’t be overlooked.

The rest of the night passes quietly, the family having departed into separate parts of the house for some downtime before bed. When the time comes, Regina stands by, quietly observing her husband’s nightly bedtime routine with the kids. While she opts not to take part just yet out of respect for their system, she makes sure to pay close attention. The Locksley household bedtime routine is standard. Roland has his bath early as Robin ensures enough soapy quality playtime in the suds. After, he is wrapped in a fluffy towel and herded into his bedroom to put on his pajamas. Before long, a bedtime story is read and Roland is tucked under the covers, tightly snuggled against his favorite stuffed fox of which he still hasn’t let go. Henry, for the most part, is left alone to do his own thing. Being a fifteen-year-old, he is allowed a later bedtime. Though, Robin doesn’t usually have much of an issue with him when it comes to winding down for the night. Tonight, like any others, both parents find him already relaxed in his bed, quietly reading a book. They poke their heads in to say goodnight; Regina fights the urge to go and cuddle him, knowing that the best thing to do for him now is to listen to Robin and give him space.

“He’ll be fine,” Robin assures as he slips under the covers beside Regina. Laying in their kingsized bed feels so new to her. The sheets bearing Robin’s smell envelop her like a warm hug. “We just need to be patient.”

“But what if he doesn’t come around?” Regina asks, “What if he’ll hate me forever?”

“Regina,” Robin asserts, pulling her into his arms, “Henry never has and never will hate you.”

Regina shakes her head, pressing her nose into her husband’s chest. “How can you be so sure?”

Robin shrugs a shoulder, smiling a little. “I just am. We know our Henry. He’s intelligent, brave, generous—has a soft heart. Like any teenager in difficult situations, he just needs to figure things out.”

“Yes, well, it’s not like I took his Xbox privileges for a week. I don’t think I need to remind you that I’ve done much worse.”

“And I don’t need to remind you that I’ve forgiven you, that I’ll support you no matter what the circumstance. If I can do that, so can our son, as he loves and respects us both just as I will always love and respect you.” Robin lifts Regina's chin to meet her eyes.

Regina looks up into fathomless pools of blue before she is drawn into a soft kiss. Her lips melt against his, and for a moment, she is able to forget the future obstacles she will inevitably have to face. For right now, it's just her and Robin, as it should be—as it should've always been.

"Welcome home, my love," Robin croons gently as Regina lays her head back on his chest. And with the calming sensation of his fingers combing through her hair, she falls asleep.


	2. First Adjustments

“In the case of Regina Mills Locksley in the Hyperion Heights district court, we as the jury find the defendant guilty of vehicular manslaughter.”

The juror’s thunderous voice echoes on repeat through Regina’s mind. Sentenced to one year in prison on the count of her crime determined as a misdemeanor, plus five more years on the count of an added charge of a hit and run. The statement of her sentencing will forever haunt Regina and that entire day permanently engraved in her memory as the day she’d ultimately destroyed her family. This fact alone made her feel like more of a monster than anything else, for they certainly were innocent and did not deserve to suffer because of her actions. And that is something she’ll never be able to undo.

~ ~ ~

_The prison block is eerily silent as Regina follows the corrections officer. Clutching onto her newest accouterments—a towel, a pair of shower slippers, bedding, and a hairbrush—she numbly makes her way down rows of steel cell doors. Her prison uniform hangs loose around her frame, slightly too large for her size. With her feet moving on autopilot, Regina stares blankly at the chain of keys that jingle back and forth from the officer’s belt. It’s only when the man stops abruptly that she is jolted out of her trancelike state just shy of colliding into his back. Her cell door opens with a shrill buzz. Cell number 23, her new home for the next six years._

__

__

_“Thanks…,” Regina mumbles, peeking up at the corrections officer who holds the door open for her. He’s a lean and rugged-looking man with wild oily-looking curls that almost touch his gray eyes as they flop over his forehead. He sports a light beard and mustache, a sharp jawline. Decked out in his gear, he stands there, giving the brunette a sympathetic stare. “…Officer Humbert,” Regina bids, reading his small metal name tag that reflects those stifling fluorescent lights._

__

__

_“Please, call me Graham,” the man responds with a deep, resounding voice. He bids her goodbye with a nod while offering a small smile._

__

__

_The door locks, again with that telltale buzz, the moment Regina steps into her small 6x8 box. Its then when she finally and quite reluctantly raises her head to scan the area of confinement that she lays eyes on her cellmate, lounging on a thin mattress identical to the one in Regina’s hand, on her “side” of the room. She’s a tall woman, by the looks of it, with long wavy blonde hair and piercing blueish-gray eyes. Her build is slender, but with a single look at her face, one can tell immediately that she’s not a person to be messed with. Her thin lips remain pursed, brows arched, as she runs a critical eye over Regina, sizing her up._

__

__

_“Well you sure’ll get eaten alive here,” the woman decides, shifting from her side onto her back._

__

__

_Regina narrows her eyes. “What makes you say that?” She asks defensively, squaring her shoulders. In the back of her mind, her mother’s mantra repeats, “Posture is self-respect. If you don’t have it, no one else will give it to you.”_

__

__

_“Well to start, my dear, you’re small. Probably very quiet.” The blonde scans her once more. “No matter how hard you’re trying to conceal it, your hands are shaking and definitely sweaty as hell. Your walls are clearly up but you just radiate fear. The sharks will circle, trust me. You look like a fucking goody two-shoes which boggles my mind as to why you’re even here in the first place.” She shrugs matter-of-factly. “You’ll turn into one of the biggest suck ups to the officers, which’ll make everyone here want to either beat you… or fuck you.” The blonde laughs aloud at Regina’s gaping expression. “What?” She says, wiggling her brow, “Can’t deny you’re hot as hell even in that getup.”_

__

__

_Regina clenches her jaw as she throws down her belongings onto her metal bunk. “Well you just have me all figured out, don’t you?” She sneers._

__

__

_Her disposition only fuels the other woman who is quite capable of matching her fiery temper if need be. “Oh come on, I’m just having a little fun with the newbie.” The blonde grins at Regina’s irritated expression. “What’s your name, dear?”_

__

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_“Don’t call me that,” Regina snaps._

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_“So answer my question then.”_

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_“It’s Regina,” the brunette grumbles, turning away from the woman to rearrange what little she has._

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_“I’m Mal.”_

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_“Like I care,” Regina mumbles._

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_“Oh well you should, dear. We’re gonna spend a lot of time together. Trust me, I’ll make it worth your while.”_

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_Regina turns around. She glares at Mal as her patience runs thin. “Why should I ever trust you?” She spits._

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_Smirking, the blonde stands up and steps right in front of Regina, practically towering over her. “Because,” she replies silkily, raising a hand to touch the brunette’s cheek. Regina shivers upon feeling the cold tips of her fingers. “From now on, I’m your only friend. And trust me, you’ll need one. You’ll need me.”_

__

__

_Angry at being patronized, Regina swats Mal’s hand away and pins her with her best death stare. “I don’t need anyone,” she growls, “And for your information, your psychoanalyzing tactic does not work on me. Not to mention your analysis is way off. You want me to be afraid of you?” Regina laughs darkly, “Well maybe it should be the other way around. You have no idea what I’m capable of.”_

__

__

_Mal beams in response, catching the brunette off guard and confusing her even more. “Oh Regina,” she sighs, moving to gracelessly plop herself back onto her bunk, “We’re gonna make such a good team, you and I.”_

__

__

~ ~ ~

“Ms. Mary says I’ve been doing really well with reading now.”

Regina smiles widely down at Roland as they walk hand in hand towards the Storybrooke elementary school. “Yeah? Have you been practicing your sight words?”

“Yup!” Roland beams proudly, “Papa says I’ve gotten real good now. Henry’s even letting me read some of his comics, but I just look at the pictures.” The boy giggles.

“Oh that’s sweet of you to share them with your brother, Henry,” Regina says, knowing that with Roland’s dislike for reading, the eight-year-old would do well with some inspiration from his book-loving brother. She looks over at her eldest son who shrugs.

“I’ve always done it,” he mutters, the unspoken second part of his sentence screams at Regina. _You just haven’t been here._

“Not since you were younger,” Regina retorts gently, “I remember you were quite possessive over your comic books.” 

Regina sighs. It had been Robin’s idea that she accompany the boys on their walk to school. Though with Henry old enough to look after Roland, there’s no real need for adult supervision. Yet, Robin had insisted that their mother join. Because the last time she was with them, it was she who was walking a nine-year-old Henry whilst carrying a two-year-old Roland. The young boy was thrilled to have Regina join, while as expected, Henry showed no signs of his approval. He just gave a grunt in response and directed a death glare at Robin, as if his father was sending him off to some kind of mathematics bootcamp. During the fifteen-minute walk to school, Regina had tried many times to engage her son in some light conversation. However, all Henry could seem to muster up were curt, one-word answers.

Thankfully, Regina has Roland, who can do enough of the talking for all three of them combined, to fill the silence. He rambles on about the activities his teachers planned for today, the games he wants to play at recess. Yet, being the smart boy he is, Roland doesn’t fail to miss his brother’s silence.

“Why’s Henry so grumpy?” He asks as the pair watch Henry walk briskly down the path to the high school before they continue on to the elementary school.

Regina shrugs a shoulder, trying to appear nonchalant about the whole matter. “He’s just being a teenager,” she says, taking Roland’s hand as they walk the rest of the way.

“Are teenagers always grumpy?”

The brunette laughs a little. “Sometimes,” she says, “It’s a pretty prominent trait.”

As they reach the elementary school chain linked fence, Regina surveys the grounds. She watches as children run back and forth, weaving in between parents and teachers alike. They scream as parents and teachers chatter loudly, trying to talk over the noise. It’s a typical small-town school. As she and Roland step through the gates and approach the area where the third graders are to line up, Regina notices the invisible forcefield around her and her son that pushes students and adults aside as they make their way forward. Several eyes turn to stare: some bewildered, some curious, many judgmental.

“Mama, why’s everyone staring at us?” Roland asks, looking up at her with big brown eyes.

Regina shakes her head as her cheeks flush a little. She can handle the staring, but not in front of her son. “I guess it’s just because they haven’t seen me for a while,” she answers as truthfully as she can.

“But shouldn’t they be happy you’re back?” Roland questions.

“I’m sure they are,” Regina murmurs before stopping and kneeling down to her son’s level. “Don’t worry about them,” she says, cupping Roland’s cheek, “You just keep your head up and keep smiling that beautiful smile of yours okay? They’ll definitely be happy to see that.”

Roland nods. “Okay, Mama.”

“That’s my boy.” Regina smiles, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his forehead before standing up. “And you be good. I’ll see you at pickup.”

The young brunette blinks his long lashes. “Promise you’ll be there?”

Regina’s heart clenches painfully. “Of course,” she says, bending down once more. She wraps her arms around her son a tight, reassuring hug. “I promise.”

~ ~ ~

_“Still can’t sleep, huh?” Mal’s voice cuts through Regina’s rustling as she turns from one side to the other in her cramped bunk._

__

__

_It’s been about three days now since she has arrived, having experienced quite the culture shock. Knowing the brunette, she’s not the type of person who tolerates being told what to do. Therefore, with officers scheduling what little freedom she has either at mealtime or in the day room, Regina has constantly been in a bitter mood. As for her other fellow inmates, they’ve taken particular interest in her, as expected. And before she knew it, the entire 108 cell block was abuzz about the new elusive brunette. During meals, Regina reluctantly met a few of them, those who perhaps wanted to get a little closer and sniff her out. There’s Ursula, convicted of aggravated assault, Ruby in for prostitution and gang banging, Mulan for voluntary manslaughter, Emma for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Zelena for identity theft and tax evasion, and Cruella, whose charge was similar to that of Regina’s except that her crime was intentional, vehicular homicide. All, except Zelena, were fairly welcoming of Regina, having offered advice and an ear to listen should she need one. The brunette kept them all at an arm’s length, refusing to answer their prodding questions regarding her former life and crime. Her indifference to their curiosity and performative sympathy only made them more intrigued, but none so much as Mal. The infuriating woman watches her every movement like a hawk._

__

__

_“You realize that picture’s never going to change, no matter how long you keep staring at it,” the blonde remarks. She squints through the dim light at Regina’s form now curled up on her right side, grasping a wallet-sized picture. It is the only thing that Regina was able to snatch before her belongings were taken and smuggle into the prison undetected._

__

__

_“Who are you looking at, anyway?” Mal presses, undeterred by her being met with silence._

__

__

_Regina sighs aloud. “My family,” she murmurs, really not in the mood for this conversation._

__

__

_“Mm,” Mal hums, “You’re lucky.”_

__

__

_Regina snorts, shooting the woman a bitter look. “Save it. You know your mockery may be funny to you, but it’s most certainly not to me.”_

__

__

_“I wasn’t mocking you,” Mal defends, “It’s the truth.” The blonde suddenly stands before making her way over to sit on the edge of Regina’s bunk. “You’re lucky to have people out there that care for you and support you.”_

__

__

_“I’m not so sure about that anymore,” Regina sniffs._

__

__

_Shaking her head, Mal extends a hand. “Can I see?”_

__

__

_Regina hesitates for a moment, though lets the blonde take her precious picture while watching her every move. She’s not too keen on opening up to Mal, though she begrudgingly admits it would have to happen at some point. Sooner would be better rather than later to avoid any future interrogation._

__

__

_“Cute,” Mal says, lifting up the picture to catch the ceiling’s dimmed lights. “Very cute. Especially the little boy. What’s his name?”_

__

__

_“Roland.”_

__

__

_“How old?”_

__

__

_“Two.” Regina sits up, hugging her knees to her chest. “The older one’s Henry. He’s nine.”_

__

__

_“They’re so young.”_

__

__

_The brunette’s heart squeezes painfully. “I’ll be out in six years,” she admits._

__

__

_“Just in time for their tween and teen years. God forbid you miss puberty.” Mal chuckles._

__

__

_“That’s not funny.”_

__

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_“Sorry.”_

__

__

_Silence._

__

__

_“And the husband?”_

__

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_“Robin,” Regina answers, resting her chin on her knees._

__

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_Mal blows out a breath as she runs a slender finger over the image. “You really are lucky.”_

__

__

_“You need to stop saying that.”_

__

__

_“Why?” The blonde demands, turning her gaze to Regina. “You had everything. Everything I didn’t.”_

__

__

_“Well now I have nothing."_

_"Oh, I highly doubt that. When you get released—”_

__

__

__

__

_“They’ll want nothing to do with me.”_

__

__

_Mal narrows her eyes. “How can you be so sure? Seems like you’re far more of a pessimist than I am.”_

__

__

_Regina sighs. “Because I broke their hearts.” She turns away as her eyes brim with red hot tears. She feels so naked, despising the way it makes her so vulnerable. “I let them down.”_

__

__

_“What could you have possibly done to do that?” Mal asks, crossing her arms._

__

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_“I killed someone.”_

__

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_“Oh,” Mal raises a brow. Regina glares at the small smirk that pulls at the blonde’s lips. “Didn’t think you’d have it in you.”_

__

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_“It was an accident!” Regina asserts, eyes suddenly flashing. She balls her fists, steeling herself as she says through clenched teeth, “I am not that much of a monster.”_

__

__

_Mal’s eyes light up upon taking in the brunette’s short fuse. Nonchalantly, she scoots further onto Regina’s bed, leaning her back up against the adjacent wall. “I am.”_

__

__

_“You’re what?” Regina snaps._

__

__

_“A monster,” Mal says. “I killed my husband because he thought he could own me. And the audacity he had to treat me that way when he was cheating on me with a precious little rose, treating her like a princess.” The blonde laughs darkly as she shakes her head. “The bastard and his whore got what they deserved.”_

__

__

_Regina stares at her cellmate, a prideful perpetrator of a double homicide._

__

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_“I don’t regret it, you know.” Mal shrugs. “I’m free.”_

__

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_“Well, technically you’re not.”_

__

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_Mal chuckles. Her sudden soft smile takes Regina aback. “No matter, we’re a lot alike you and I.”_

__

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_“We’re nothing alike.”_

__

__

_The blonde shift closer. Boldly, she reaches out a hand and cups Regina’s chin, forcing the brunette to look directly in her eyes. Regina’s breath catches. “There’s a darkness in you, my little Regina. I’ve seen it tonight. Yes, you’re lucky with a perfect little family and a nice house with a white picket fence. But there’s so much more to you. There’s so much that that perfect little life of yours hasn’t allowed you to discover about yourself. You just have so much potential.”_

__

__

_Regina grits her teeth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”_

__

__

_“Don’t tell me you weren’t bored with the way things were before the accident?”_

__

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_Regina’s eyes flash dangerously once again. “You looked at a fucking picture once. You don’t get to make assumptions about my life.”_

__

__

_“Okay, so then why are you acting so defensive?” Mal asks, unaffected. “Like it or not, Regina, this is the place where you find parts of yourself that you haven’t even known existed. Take it from me, dear. You’ll have no choice to embrace it.”_

__

__

~ ~ ~

The bell rings as Regina walks through the entrance of Granny’s Diner. With her head held high, she ignores the ceasing of chatter and the eyes on her back as she makes her way to the counter.

“Well, look who’s back!” 

A raspy, loud, obnoxious voice halts Regina mid-step. She swivels around to see a short, beefy man grinning at her as he approaches the counter to pick up his order. Inwardly, the brunette groans as outwardly, she pins him with a dark stare.

“How’s jail treated ya? I almost expected you to come back with a black eye and tattoos or somethin’. Have to admit I’m a bit disappointed.”

Regina balls her fists, but before she can open her mouth, the old lady behind the counter beats her to it.

“That’s enough, Leroy,” Granny clucks. She skewers him with a warning look over her little circular glasses perched on the tip of her nose. Though relatively small in stature and growing older by the day, she’s a force to be reckoned with.

“What? I’m just curious. God knows what happened in there, now that she’s no longer the perfect woman we all thought her to be.” 

“Leroy, I’m warning you.”

Ignoring Granny, the man turns to the brunette once more, eyeing her up and down. “You know, just because you’re out of that prison garb doesn’t mean you can just walk around back in your pantsuits, with your head held high, like nothing’s ever happened.”

“That’s it! Out.”

“What? That’s not fair,” Leroy whines, “She’s the criminal here.”

“I said out!” Granny points at the door.

“But my pancakes…”

“Out!”

Glaring at Regina, as if she’s the one to blame, Leroy storms past her, deliberately brushing against her shoulder. The door slams, causing the bell to jangle loudly. The rest of the diner’s patrons murmur amongst themselves.

“Come here and have a seat, Regina,” Granny commands, though her eyes softening as she beckons the brunette to the counter.

Regina sighs, unclenching her fists. She takes a seat on what was her usual stool.

“Are you all right?”

The brunette hardens her stare at the old woman. “I’m fine,” she asserts.

“You’re not fooling me, girl,” Granny retorts. “How are you really doing?”

“I said I’m fine, Granny, please.”

The old woman exhales, shaking her head as she makes the decision to back down, for now. “You want the usual?”

Regina lifts a brow. “I’m surprised you remember,” she mutters.

“Of course I do.” With that, Granny scuttles back into the kitchen.

Blowing out a breath, Regina relaxes her shoulders. She digs into her purse as she waits, pulling out an appointment card from the Storybrooke salon. The six years of prison shampoo haven’t been kind to her hair that had grown long and frizzy. Not to mention that she knows she’ll feel a hundred times better after a proper cut and blowout, finally having the chance to reestablish some semblance of her former self.

“Regina!” A voice squeals, making the brunette jump. Regina turns to find a young, short-haired brunette with a pixie cut beelining towards her. She has no choice but to catch her in a tentative hug. “I’m so happy you’re back. You look so different!” The woman gushes.

“I couldn’t have changed that much, Mary Margaret.” Regina says with a small smile and a shake of her head. “How are you?”

“Oh even better now that we have you back in our lives,” Mary Margaret beams, “But this isn't about me. How are _you_?”

“I’m all right, I guess,” Regina shrugs.

“What’s this?” The young woman asks, easily distracted by the card in the older brunette’s hand. “You’re cutting your hair?”

“It needs to be done.”

“Oh, but it’s so beautiful. I haven’t seen you like that in ages, since we were teenagers.”

Regina shakes her head. “Mary, you know I don’t like it.”

“That’s such a shame,” the brunette says. “Anyway, I wish I could stay longer but I was just quickly dropping in to grab some takeout for David and I. Gotta get back. He’s at home watching Neal. But I’m so glad I ran into you. I was planning on paying you a visit later but this is just perfect. We’ll definitely meet up soon so we can properly catch up.”

“Okay,” Regina can’t help but laugh. “Take a breath and we’ll plan something.”

“Perfect!” Mary Margaret says, grabbing her takeout bag from Granny. “Call me later!” She bids over her shoulder before bouncing her way out of the diner.

“At least she came before you ate,” Granny comments with a shake of her head as she sets Regina’s pancakes and tea down in front of her. “Now you can enjoy your breakfast in peace.”

Regina smirks a little, thanking the old woman before digging into her first meal back at the diner. And it tastes just like she remembered.

~ ~ ~

“Hey love, I just wanted to check in to see how you’re doing.”

“I’m okay,” Regina replies, tucking in a soft piece of her now cropped hair behind her ears. She balances her cellphone on her shoulder as she fishes around in her purse for the keys. “How’s work?”

“The usual,” Robin answers, “On my break for ten and then I have to go out with the guys to clear up the trails in the park. Typical forest maintenance. What are you up to?”

“Headed into the office for a bit to see what the damage is.”

“Oh, August has contacted you?”

“No, but he reassured me multiple times that I’d still have a job.”

“That’s very kind of him. Let me know how it goes. And take it easy, okay?”

Regina smiles, starting up the engine of her Mercedes. “I will. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

It takes about fifteen minutes before Regina pulls into the parking lot of her former workplace, Storybrooke Publishing Company. Before her arrest, Regina had worked as the senior fiction editor under August Booth. He’s a gentle soul, one of the few people who were genuinely the most understanding towards Regina’s case. Technically, the company’s protocol would be to let go any person with any sort of criminal record. Though, when prosecutors agreed to lower Regina’s charge from a felony to a misdemeanor, August had decided to keep her on board.

It’s strange walking into a place she hadn’t seen in years. As Regina looks around the lobby, it appears almost foreign to her as she takes in the newest modern renovations. Having made her way up to the third floor, she approaches August’s office just in time to see her old coworker Keith Nottingham, face red with anger, storming from the exact place she’s headed. As their eyes meet, fury instantly replaces initial surprise as Keith shoots her a menacing glare before continuing on.

Regina follows his exit with her gaze, frowning in confusion. It’s not a secret that the pair never really got along in the workplace. Though she’s not quite so sure what had gotten under his skin this time.

“Regina,” August bids. The brunette turns back towards the editor in chief’s office to see the man emerge with a warm, welcoming smile on his face. He hugs her tightly. “You look great. How are you doing? How are you feeling?”

“I’m all right,” Regina says, “It’s good to be back.”

“I’m sure it is,” August replies before ushering her into his office. “Please come in and take a seat. As you know, I’ve been very adamant on keeping your position here at the company. You’ve proved to be a very trustworthy member, and you work so diligently, having edited and published some of our most esteemed clients. I’m not willing to let any of what happened to damage that reputation.”

“Thank you, August, I really appreciate that.”

The man nods. “That being said, you’re good to go. I’ll have Tink update you on everything that’s been going on.”

“Okay, perfect,” Regina says before furrowing her brows. “Wait, who was filling in for me when I was gone?”

“Keith Nottingham.”

“He was my rival for the promotion seven years ago.”

“He was. And I’m glad we picked you over him.”

“Not to intrude, but I saw him leaving earlier. He didn’t look… happy.”

August waves a hand. “He’s just angry upon hearing the news of your reinstatement, having wanted to be moved to the position permanently. But that’s nothing you should concern yourself with. He’ll get over it.” The man stands and Regina with him, as he extends a hand, smiling once more. “Welcome back to the team, Regina.”

Grinning, Regina gives him a firm handshake, finally feeling like her life is starting to get back on track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While OQ is of course the dominant ship, there will be a few others at play (refer to the tags), I hope you guys don't mind!
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment! Thank you all for the feedback I've received on the first chapter, I'm so so grateful!


	3. Hot and Cold

“I know I just threw a lot at you but bottom line, any issues or further questions, just email IT and they’ll get it sorted.”

“Thanks, Tink,” Regina says, smiling at the perky little blonde holding a tablet in her hand. She was her PA from the minute Regina noticed her talent as an intern almost a decade ago. The two have grown unbelievably close ever since. “The new software is going to take some getting used to, but nothing I can’t handle I’m sure. I’m a fast learner.”

Tink grins. “It’s so great to have you back, finally. Keith was such a pain.”

“Really?” Regina raises a brow. “How so?”

“He’s just a bully. Mean to all of the assistants and interns, treating them like they’re his servants.” Tink scrunches her nose as she admits with a shudder, “He even tried to hit on me at one point, not very appropriate.”

The brunette’s eyes widen. “Did you report him?”

Tink nods, ducking her gaze to fidget with the edge of her skirt. Regina wonders if there’s more going on than the girl is letting on. “I tried, but you know the head of HR. Victoria likes him. I personally think that there’s something going on between the two.” It’s then that the blonde abruptly shakes her head. “I’m so sorry. I just—I shouldn’t be gossiping.”

Regina laughs, waving a hand. “Don’t worry about that, it’s just me. And trust me, I could use some office gossip over prison rumors any day.”

Furrowing her brow, Tink shifts closer in her seat in front of Regina’s desk. “What was it like there?” She asks, “I know the environment can be—”

“Brutal? Unforgiving?” Regina nods. “It’s certainly hell, but even worse if you find yourself caught up with the wrong people or in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“How did you survive?”

The brunette exhales. “Truthfully, I didn’t many times. And I’m sure what happened in there will come back sooner or later to haunt me.” Regina lowers her gaze, picking at a pulled thread on the corner of her blazer.

Tink smiles sympathetically as she lays a gentle hand on Regina’s. “Well, whatever the case is, I’m always free to listen.”

Regina presses her lips together, smiling sadly. “Thank you,” she says, “That really means a lot.”

“Of course,” Tink replies. With one last squeeze to Regina’s hand, the blonde is standing from her seat. Regina clears her throat, squaring her shoulders as she composes herself. “I have to go run some paperwork. Just holler if you need me.”

With the click of her door closing, the brunette is once more left alone in her office. Looking around, she is happy that most of the decor—the decorative vases, paintings of forests, and pictures of her family—were retained, appearing just as she left it six years ago. Regina has a sneaking suspicion that perhaps August must have forced Nottingham to either take a different room or to keep his own office.

Having not worked at her dream job for far too long, Regina was itching to snap back into action. Luckily, August has instructed the interns to leave a good-sized stack of manuscripts on Regina’s desk, assuring that she’d have plenty of work to attend to as if she hadn’t left at all. And that was just the way the brunette wanted it.

Smiling to herself, Regina settles back in her office chair and plucks the first script from the pile.

~ ~ ~

“Whatcha makin’?” Roland asks as he stands on his tiptoes in effort to see into the large pot that Regina is currently stirring. 

It’s now just about four-thirty in the afternoon. After-school pickup had gone fairly smoothly with Roland head-over-heels excited to see his mother standing at the gates. He’d embraced her immediately, pressing his warm sweaty body against her hip. Henry insisted that he didn’t need to be picked up. And since (according to Robin) the teenager usually walks home by himself, Regina decided not to press. So mother and her youngest son strolled down the street hand-in-hand, talking about their day. Roland was quick to comment about Regina’s newly cut hair while she in turn was quick to point out a large grass stain on his pants leg, which led to a very lengthy story concerning a very serious game of cops and robbers during recess.

Upon their arrival home, Regina got the idea of fixing a proper homemade dinner for the family regardless of the fact that it is a school night. After all, like many of the things she’s done back in Storybrooke so far, it would be her first one in a very long time. The dish was decided with Henry in mind, whom she hadn’t heard a peep from since the time he’d walked through the front door about an hour ago.

“Lasagna,” Regina answers as she stirs her special homemade marinara sauce.

“Can I try?”

The brunette shakes her head. “No, no trying. It’s not done yet.”

“Aww!”

“Have you finished your homework?”

Roland nods eagerly. “Yup!”

“Who usually checks it for you? Does Papa?”

“Belle mostly cause Papa always comes home really late, like every night.”

Regina frowns, glancing at her son. “How come?”

The boy shrugs. “He said that since you were gone, he needed extra shifts. Belle said that it’s to help pay for things.”

Guilt consumes Regina upon hearing his answer. Turning back to the pot, she breathes a quiet “oh” under her breath. She remembers talking briefly about the subject during one of Robin’s visits to the prison—when he’d finally decided to visit—but she didn’t realize how extreme it was.

And just as if on cue, the front door opens and Roland is beelining towards his father. “Papa!” He cries, “Mama’s making lasagna!”

“Really?” Regina hears Robin ask enthusiastically as he scoops the boy up into a giant bear hug. “It smells delicious, my love,” he compliments as he walks into the kitchen and up behind the brunette.

Regina leans into him as he plants a kiss to her cheek. “You’re home early,” she says.

“We were very productive,” Robin says, “We planted a bunch of new trees near the town line.”

Regina nods before she urges Roland to see what Henry is up to. “I was told that you’ve been coming home late every night,” she says, placing her wooden spoon down. Leaning against the counter besides the stove, she crosses her arms.

“I thought I mentioned that I’ve had to take a few extra shifts.”

“Yes, but you never mentioned that you had to do so at the expense of being with our sons.”

Robin shakes his head. “You know how tight money was with you gone,” he says, “It was necessary. I wouldn’t have done it if I felt it wasn’t.”

“Robin, we were comfortable,” Regina argues, “I had tons saved up for us should anything happen.”

“Yes, but it didn’t feel right to dig into your savings.”

“It was my fault I put us in that situation.”

“But—”

“Yes. It was.” Regina asserts, stepping towards Robin, her eyes dark and piercing. “We’ve been over this. It was my fault. What happened is my burden to carry.”

“Regina…”

“You just should’ve used the money, Robin. It was there for you and the kids. They, Roland especially, already had one parent out of the picture. I can’t believe you would consider making that into two.” Regina looks away, turning back to the pot. Behind her, she hears silence, movement only after a pregnant pause as her husband eventually lets out a deep sigh and exits the room.

~ ~ ~

_“You’re still not eating,” Mal says._

__

__

_Sitting across from her, Regina picks at her food: a barely recognizable sort of meatloaf concoction._

__

__

_“I’m not hungry.”_

__

__

_Mal rolls her eyes. “Yes, yes. Not today, not yesterday, or the day before that, or the day before the day before that.” The blonde sighs as she leans back and crosses her arms. “You’re going to have to eat at some point. The prison sure as hell won’t let you starve to death. Kind of counterproductive to learning your lesson.”_

__

__

_Now it’s Regina’s turn to roll her eyes. “Can’t you lay off me for two seconds?” She snaps irritably, “I’m tired of your constant hovering.”_

__

__

_“I’m your cellmate,” Mal retorts, “I’m supposed to hover. Besides, who’s going to protect you if I don’t?”_

__

__

_“What the hell are you talking about?”_

__

__

_“Look to your right, Regina,” Mal instructs. Regina reluctantly turns her head, setting eyes on a certain wavy redhead, Zelena. “If you weren’t so in your head, feeling sorry for yourself the entire time, you’d notice that she’s been staring at you for the past week like she wants to have you for lunch.”_

__

__

_The brunette shrugs, looking away. “So? I don’t care.”_

__

__

_“Oh, well you should. Word has it that she knows who you are.”_

__

__

_Frowning, Regina glances over at the redhead once more. “I don’t recognize her.”_

__

__

_“Maybe you should ask.”_

__

__

_“Again, I would, if I cared. I have no intention of getting into petty gossip or arguments in here. I’m here to do my time, and that is all.”_

__

__

_Mal laughs. “You think that’s so easy, don’t you?” She tilts her head. “I think you’ll find that drama will help your time go even faster. After all, everybody in here is bored and has nothing but time on their hands. What else is there to do? You’ll get sucked in one way or another.” Mal wiggles her brows as she now turns her gaze over Regina’s shoulder._

__

__

_Regina looks behind herself, following the blonde’s gaze to an officer standing on the perimeter of the cafeteria. He too, like Zelena, seems to have been staring at her this entire time; his dark gray eyes flickering with interest._

__

__

_“Seems like someone likes you,” Mal sings._

__

__

_The brunette rolls her eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Officer Humbert—”_

__

__

_“Has had a history of cultivating—shall we say—interesting relationships with his prisoners. The girls, well those who aren’t gay—and trust me, when you’re around women all the time now it’s hard to not be—seem to just flock to him. I mean, just look at him.” Mal grins. “If I wasn’t batting for the other team, I would too. He’s quite the fine specimen, don’t you think?”_

__

__

_Regina grumbles. “I think that I’m married, and I really can’t care less,” she states, though keeping her eyes trained on the man who now offers her a small smile._

__

__

_“Oh, okay,” Mal snorts, “If you say so. Now eat, you’re going to need it later.”_

__

__

~ ~ ~

Regina’s heels click on the pavement as the locking sound of the Mercedes rings behind. She swiftly makes her way towards the office entrance, eager to begin the day’s work. Reviewing her schedule in her head, the brunette just about stumbles into another body and drops her briefcase in surprise. As she bends down to retrieve it, Regina can hear a deep laughter roll over her back.

“Funny seeing you like this, all clumsy. Shame, you used to be so focused. Seems like your time in prison’s done a number on you.”

Regina rights herself, eyes glaring immediately. “You walked into me, Keith,” she says, “Maybe if you’d get off your high horse for once in your life, you’d find that whatever happens to you is because of you and not anyone else.”

“Well, you’d certainly know a thing or two about being knocked off your high horse,” Keith sneers.

“Watch it, Nottingham,” Regina warns, “I’d be careful if I were you. I know about your behavior when I was gone, your treatment of our PAs and interns. You’re lucky I haven’t already reported you.”

Keith snorts, rolling his eyes. “I did nothing wrong,” he says, “Sure, I was being strict at times, but it builds character.”

“And harassing our coworkers falls into that category?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do. And I’ll be watching you even more closely from now on.”

“You realize you have no authority over me.”

“You’re an editor, Keith. You report to me.”

“Bullshit,” the man growls, stepping closer so that he stands toe-to-toe with Regina. “You’re a criminal. Even after time in the slammer, you’re still walking around here thinking you’re some kind of queen when you’re nothing but an arrogant bitch.”

“I’m arrogant?!” Regina balls her fist, prompting her other hand to clench it tightly as she physically restrains herself from breaking the bastard’s nose.

“You’re arrogant and a suck-up. August should’ve fired you the second you were arrested. But I can assure you, sooner or later he’ll see right through you.”

“August trusts me.”

“August has his head so far up your ass that he can’t even see the truth. You’re a liar, Regina. You have been and you always will be.”

Regina grits her teeth, her entire body practically shaking in rage. “How dare you.”

“I dare because you know what I’m saying is true. Because of what you did, everybody in this town knows that you’re not to be trusted. It’s only a matter of time before August joins. And you’ll be out of your position, with me taking over, just as it should’ve been in the first place.” Keith backs up. He swivels on his heel and saunters towards the building, leaving a fuming Regina standing rigid in the parking lot.

“I’m gonna kill him one day,” Regina growls to herself, storming into her office. Now, in a foul mood, she slams her belongings down on her desk as Tink closes the door.

“Should I ask what happened?”

Regina shakes her head. “Nothing you need to know other than to tell me when Nottingham is in a meeting so I can take my damn lunch break without another run-in.”

“That bad, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Regina huffs, plopping herself down into her office chair.

Tink sighs as she leans a hip onto the armrest of the chair across. “Don’t let him get to you,” she says.

“Hah,” Regina laughs humorlessly, “I’ve been not letting him get to me ever since the day he realized I wouldn’t indulge in his sleazy flirtation. Gets tiring, you know?”

“He’s only wound up because he’s delighted about having the chance to revel in your losses now that you’re back.”

“I don’t think he’s doing much reveling. He’s jealous.”

“He’s always jealous.”

Regina shakes her head. “No, I mean about August keeping me as the head fiction editor.”

“Well, he’ll just have to get over it,” Tink says.

“He better,” Regina states, “Sooner or later, he’ll realize that actually knuckling down and working for privileges will be far more effective than harassing the upper management.”

Tink smirks. “Speaking of management, I booked you a short twenty minute meeting at ten with the head of HR to catch you up on new protocol and make sure your info hasn’t changed so they can get you back into the payroll system.”

“Oh, well that’s in five minutes, so I’d better get going.” Regina stands. “I don’t recall seeing that in my schedule.”

“It’s not. Kind of a last minute thing. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, that’s fine,” the brunette says, grabbing her laptop and agenda. “Thanks, Tink.”

“Want a coffee when you get back?”

“I can’t say no to that. Black, please.”

~ ~ ~

_“Regina, right?”_

__

__

_The brunette jumps, slapping her book down that she’d check out from the prison library. She looks up to find a pair of dark gray eyes peering from above her seat in the day room._

__

__

_“Officer Humbert?”_

__

__

_“Yes, though I did say you could call me Graham.”_

__

__

_Regina shifts, skeptically eyeing the man up and down. “Okay, Graham. Um, may I ask why you’re hovering over me?”_

__

__

_“I just wanted to ask how you’re doing,” Graham says, moving to take a seat across the small table._

__

__

_Regina narrows her eyes at the man. “Do you always do this with new prisoners?” She questions slowly._

__

__

_Graham chuckles, shaking his head. “Not always,” he admits, “But you looked like a bit of a deer in the headlights when I first escorted you.”_

__

__

_“Well, I’m sure I’m not the only one who comes in looking like that,” Regina says, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest._

__

__

_“Yes, but you strike me as different,” Graham replies, “I can tell you’re not from the rougher parts of inner city Heights.”_

__

__

_“No,” Regina sighs, “I’m not.”_

__

__

_“Where are you from?”_

__

__

_“Why don’t you read my file?”_

__

__

_“I could,” Graham says, “But I want you to tell me.”_

__

__

_“And I want you to tell me why you’re so interested,” Regina retorts, leaning forward on her elbows, “Don’t tell me you’re not. I’ve seen you staring.”_

__

__

_“Because you’re an enigma, Regina,” Graham answers, simply shrugging a shoulder, “There’s just something about you, about the way you act and carry yourself. You present a sort of elegance, poise and composure. You don’t belong here.”_

__

__

_“Damn right I don’t,” the brunette mutters._

__

__

_“I just want to let you know that I have your back,” Graham says, finally rising from his seat. His eyes pierce through Regina, always studying her. “I mean it. If you need anything at all, come to me directly.” With that, he is then walking away. And for some reason, Regina can’t help but keep her eyes glued to his back while the officer continues on with his rounds around the pod._

__

__

~ ~ ~

The house is quiet until Regina lets out quite the loud groan. Her pointer finger slams down onto the mouse as she tries for the tenth time to retrieve the files she’d somehow lost at the beginning of this technology debacle.

“Henry?” Regina waits, impatiently running a hand through her hair. “Henry!”

“What?!”

“Can you come down here please?”

“Why?”

“Just do as I say, please!” Especially now wrapped up in her frustration, Regina is in no mood for patience with this teenager’s prolonged attitude towards her. She hears a muffled sigh followed by the telltale thumping of Henry trudging down the stairs. Her son emerges in the study entrance, hands in his pockets, frowning at her. “I need help with this,” Regina states, beckoning him closer. “I was trying to transfer some files and now they’re gone. I’ve been trying to get them back.”

“Have you checked your trash? Or maybe your downloads? If you have them all backed up onto the cloud, you should be able to get them from there.”

“Trash—cloud—what?” Regina stammers. She presses a hand to her forehead, feeling utterly inept.

Henry sighs again. He approaches her side, peering over her shoulder at her MacBook’s screen. “Do you even know what iCloud is?”

“Henry, I’ve been in p—away—for six years. This stuff is all new to me.”

“Okay, okay. Look, I don’t think you completely deleted your files. They probably just ended up somewhere you hadn’t meant them to be.” Henry inches closer, taking command of the mouse. “Lemme see. What are you trying to find?”

“The SPC editing files,” Regina says, “All my notes and digital manuscripts.”

As she watches Henry bounce the mouse around her desktop, the brunette can’t help but feel an overwhelming pit grow exponentially in her stomach. As a professional and as a mother, Regina had always prided herself in being on top of things. But now, she feels as if she was born yesterday: completely incompetent, downright clueless. Regina studies Henry’s profile as he concentrates on the task. He has grown so much from what she’d remembered of him. Reconnecting with Roland had been so easy that she didn’t even think that it wouldn’t be the same for Henry. He’s changed, he’s older. He doesn’t need to be coddled. He doesn’t care for attention. He does his own thing, which is so foreign to Regina who’d left him as the child always attached to her hip no matter what she did.

The brunette lets out a long, relieved sigh as she sees her files reappear on her desktop. “Oh thank God,” she breathes, “Thank you so much, Henry.”

Henry shrugs. “It was easy.”

Exhaling once more, Regina turns to face her son. She reaches for his hands despite his grimace, holding them tightly. “I know this is hard for you,” she says, “I get it.”

“No you don’t,” Henry says, pulling his hands away.

“Okay,” Regina admits, “Maybe I don’t. But I am here for you, dear. You can talk to me about anything. And I promise, I will be here to listen and answer any questions you have as truthfully as possible.”

“How will I know that you’re telling the truth? You didn’t before.”

“I know.” Regina swallows hard. “I know, and that was a mistake. Trust me, Henry, I have a lot of sins to carry and I have to live with them every day. You and Roland and your father are my light. I don’t want to lose you, not after I just got you back.”

“Then you shouldn’t have done what you did in the first place. You ran. You let that guy die,” Henry states bitterly.

“Henry, I—”

“You don’t realize the shit I’ve had to go through because of you.”

“Henry!”

“All the kids at school make fun of me for being The Criminal’s kid. Parents used to not let their kids play with me or come over.”

“Oh Henry…”

“I don’t have anybody, okay? I don’t have friends. And no matter how much you try to play nice and suck up to me, that’s not gonna change. You should’ve just stayed gone.”

Regina stares at her son. Tears blur her vision but don’t fall. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers, voice trembling.

Shaking his head, Henry spins on his heel and heads briskly from the room, leaving his mother to bury her face in her hands.

~ ~ ~

“Had a day?” Robin asks as he approaches his wife in bed. “You’ve been quiet all night.”

Regina sets her manuscript down on the night stand along with her glasses. “You have no idea,” she mumbles.

Robin slips under the covers beside her, drawing the brunette close. Regina closes her eyes, sighing deeply as she snuggles against Robin’s chest. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Okay.” Robin combs his fingers through Regina’s hair. “What do you need me to do, then?”

“Just this,” she murmurs against him. The feeling of her husband’s hands in her hair brings about a sort of drowsiness that pulls Regina down into a sort of semi-unconscious state. She remains there for a little bit until Robin’s voice jolts her back to the present.

“I’ve waited so long to finally be able to do this, to hold you like this.” Regina feels Robin bury his nose into her hair. “Especially on the toughest days, all I wanted to do was wrap you up like this and kiss you and make love to you.”

Regina sighs, squeezing her eyes closed. “Me too,” she confesses, “I’ve never wanted you more than when I was in that cell, on a bed so small I could barely turn over in it.”

“Well now you’re here.” Robin lifts Regina’s chin to meet his eyes. “And you have me, all of me.”

Regina’s eyes flutter closed as he presses his lips to hers. She furrows her brow, leaning into his kiss almost desperately as her hands reach up to cup his cheeks while Robin slides his hands through her hair and down her shoulders. 

Instinctively, Regina shifts further towards her husband. His tongue peeks through her lips, seeking even more. She lets him, allowing the kiss to warm up as his hands continue to roam. Though when a hand slips under her nightshirt and cups her bare breast, Regina gasps and jerks away from the touch. She shakes her head avoiding her husband’s wide eyes, his startled and confused look. 

“I’m sorry, I just…,” Regina stutters, returning to her position cuddled into his side.

“It’s okay,” Robin whispers, though she can hear the disappointment laced in his words. “We don’t have to.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Regina, it’s fine. I know so much is happening right now and there’s a lot of adjustment to make. I don’t want you to get overwhelmed.”

“It’s been so long…”

“I know,” Robin sighs, settling his fingers back into her hair. “I know.”


	4. Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you all are doing well! Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read. I'm so grateful and happy that OQ fans are still going strong! Much appreciation to those who have been leaving reviews. You guys are so incredibly loyal and I can't thank you enough!
> 
> This chapter's a bit of a long one, drama's definitely kicked up a notch and plenty of new insights, I hope you enjoy!

Day three of freedom, Regina makes her way into the SPC building without incident. Waving to the receptionist at the front desk, she makes her way to her office on the third floor. Tink gives her a small side-eye and smirk as Regina passes by her desk, to which the brunette tilts her head, confused. Though, her unspoken question is answered when she opens the door to her office and finds a giant bouquet of voluminous red peonies, her favorite flowers, displayed in a beautiful glass bottle-necked vase on her desk. Brows pulled together, Regina brushes one of their soft petals with her fingers before reaching for the card propped up beside the gift.

_To my Regina,  
Just to make you smile that elusive but satisfying smile I adore so much. Have a great day.  
All my love,  
Robin_

_____ _

_____ _

Smiling, Regina shakes her head as her eyes roll fondly. She places the card down and moves the flowers to the window sill for better light.

“Looks like someone’s in a romantic mood,” Tink remarks, popping her head into the office.

“I guess so,” Regina replies, sitting herself down. She fires up her desktop. “Though, I think he’s just trying to indulge me.”

“And why shouldn’t he? He is your husband.”

Regina sighs. “Well, last night might not have gone… exactly as he planned.”

“Oh? What happened?” Tink asks, making the smart move to close the door before sitting down as well.

“Nothing, really… literally.” Regina shakes her head. “Things started to heat up between us and I just… I wasn’t in the mood.”

“Well that’s okay,” Tink says, “Surely he’d understand. You were working an entire day—a really trying one at that—I don’t blame you for not having the energy.”

“Yeah, but it was more than that.” Regina blows out a breath. Leaning back in her chair, she closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. “It just… didn’t feel right.”

“Didn’t feel right?”

The brunette stills at the blonde’s slightly accusatory tone. “Look, I know it’s been six years we’ve been apart. And I know I should’ve been just aching to get together with him, to finally be able to be intimate again, but—I don’t know, I just felt off.”

“Do you think it’s because you might have drifted apart from Robin, maybe more than you realize?”

Regina’s eyes snap open. She stares openmouthed at Tink’s honest expression. “I—I don’t know.”

“Regina, I’m not saying that to scare you,” Tink says gently, leaning over the desk to take her boss’s hand. “Maybe it’s normal. Maybe you’ve been so far apart for so long that you’ve fell out of touch with him, and that’s okay.” She gives Regina’s hand a squeeze. “I don’t believe you don’t love Robin any less. It’s just something to think about, while also taking it easy on yourself and doing things on your own time, when it feels right.”

Regina inhales before letting the air out slowly. She looks at Tink, her best friend's eyes so expressive of her support and understanding. “I hope you’re right,” she says, though with doubt written all over her features. The brunette smiles a little, one that doesn’t quite touch her eyes. “Thank you for listening, Tink, and making me feel like I’m not—well—evil.”

The PA’s eyes widen. “No, no, Regina! Where on earth would you get that idea?”

“With the things I’ve done, everyone has the right to call me a monster.”

“Well they shouldn’t. No one is without sin. No one is perfect. Fuck them if they have the audacity to judge you. Yes, you made mistakes, maybe a little more costly than most, but you Regina have something special that rarely few people have.”

Regina shakes her head. “And what’s that?”

“You’re resilient,” Tink says, “You bounce back from any challenge or failure stronger than ever. You take risks to prove to everyone the strong, independent person you are. You’re fierce in protecting the people you love.”

At this response, the brunette can’t help but laugh. “So I see yesterday was the day of insults and today, the day of compliments?”

“I’m serious!” Tink asserts, “You need to give yourself a lot more credit.”

Regina sighs as she shakes her head once more. Her eyes flicker intensely at the blonde as her demeanor changes from disbelief to unadulterated cynicism. “Maybe you just don’t know me as well as you think.”

~ ~ ~

_Regina peers at Mal from over her book, as the blonde, busy and focused on whatever task she’s doing, shuffles about her side of the cell. After clearing the small ledge by the window, she reaches underneath her bed. A single creak sounds, and she’s pulling out a plastic bag filled with some kind of peachy-yellowish liquid and sets it down alongside two small plastic cups usually used for medicine that’s distributed to any needing inmate at pill call. Speaking of pills, the last ingredient Mal pulls out is exactly that: two pink pills that she crushes up and pours into the plastic bag._

__

__

_“Uh, what on earth are you doing?” Regina asks, settling her book down._

__

__

_“Finishing up the pruno,” Mal says, “Gonna give it a little bit of kick. I like to call it my special recipe.”_

__

__

_“Pruno?” Regina questions, lip curling in disgust as she witnesses Mal mix the bag with a saved spoon. “What’s that?”_

__

__

_“Alcohol,” Mal replies, grinning at the brunette, “You’ll never find anything like it other than here. Ours is one of a kind.”_

__

__

_“Isn’t that against the rules?”_

__

__

_“Oh yeah. But it’s jail, you know? We have to do something every once in a while to keep ourselves from going crazy. This’ll help you relax real nice, my dear.” The blonde pours the liquid into both cups before offering Regina one of them._

__

__

_The brunette hesitates. “I’m not so sure,” she says, “Is it safe?”_

__

__

_“Oh yeah,” Mal assures._

__

__

_“What’s in it?”_

__

__

_“Oranges from lunch, fermented of course. Bits of bread to, you know, help with the fermentation. Few packs of sugar. And some crushed up Benadryl.”_

__

__

_“Oh God.”_

__

__

_“Trust me, Regina,” Mal says, stepping towards her. “You’ll feel much better after you drink this. I promise. It’s time to get you out of that shell of a person you’ve become and back into reality. This is your life, Regina. It’s yours and mine, and yeah, it sucks. But we have to make the most of our circumstances. So, come on and stop being so uptight all the time,” she presses the cup into Regina’s hand, “Tonight’s the night we’ll drink to all the shit we’ve been through.”_

__

__

_Sighing deeply, Regina stares down into the cup. As she swirls the liquid a bit, she can see small chunks of whatever those ingredients that made up that concoction were. She wrinkles her nose, wincing in disgust at its very potent, sour smell. “Well,” Regina sighs, “What have I got to lose?”_

__

__

_With that, she is clinking cups with Mal and gulping back the liquid with a grimace. A loud cackle erupts from the blonde, prompting Regina to glower at her._

__

__

_“You should see your face,” Mal gasps, beaming at her cellmate. “You’re just so sweet and innocent, I can’t stand it!”_

__

__

_“Will you stop saying that?” Regina demands exasperatedly. “Stop treating me as if I’m your baby. You’re so patronizing it’s humiliating.”_

__

__

_Mal grins wickedly. “Well in that case, you’ll have another drink. Show me the kind of woman you are, Regina.”_

__

__

~ ~ ~

The Rabbit Hole is practically dead when Robin walks in. Though, that’s to be expected on a weekday in the middle of the afternoon. He scans the bar until he sees his company sitting on one of the stools on the far side, nursing a whiskey.

“Ey, mate!” Will Scarlet greets as Robin approaches.

Robin smiles warmly, wrapping an arm around his best friend’s shoulders. “Great to see you,” he says, “You look great, not even tired! Are you and Ana getting used to the whole parenting thing?”

Will laughs. “Just about,” he replies, “You caught me on a good day.”

“Ah, that’s fair.” Robin nods, smiling. It seems just yesterday that the two of them were running around in the forest, climbing trees and scraping up their knees in the process to try and climb to the highest limb. Now, they sit here as husbands and fathers with far more mature goals than climbing the tallest tree.

“So how are things going with you, though?” Will asks, “I know it must be madness with Regina back and all.”

“It is crazy,” Robin admits, flagging down the bartender. “Everything is up in the air. I don’t know how to act anymore.” He leans away for a brief moment, asking the bartender for a scotch on the rocks.

“What do you mean you don’t know how to act?”

Robin sighs, running his hands through his hair. “Regina’s been through a lot. And I know it’s not an easy adjustment for her. I can tell she’s really been struggling.”

“Is it work or?”

“Just everything I suppose,” Robin answers, sipping at his newly served drink. “Henry is not talking to her. She looks anxious every time she has to leave the house. She just started up with work again two days ago and has come home absolutely knackered.” The man shakes his head, sighing deeply once again. “I try to be supportive of course, give her time and space. But she’s either constantly on edge or just—I don’t know—distant. She came home from work yesterday and was just off the entire night. She didn’t tell me why.”

“Really?” Will asks, frowning, “Doesn’t Regina usually tell you everything?”

“I guess, but I know she does have the tendency to close up when she’s feeling a certain way.”

“How is she intimately?”

“She’ll let me hold her,” Robin says, “That’s one of the few things I do that I really feel make a difference. But nothing really past that. She pulled away from doing anything further than that last night. I worry that she’s—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, mate,” Will interrupts, holding up a hand, “Why jump to that conclusion so quickly? Maybe she’s just stressed like you said.”

“Yes, but there’s something different about her,” Robin insists, taking another drink. “It’s like I finally get my wife back but she’s not fully there. And it’s killing me not knowing what it is, worse, not knowing what to do to help.” He leans closer to his friend, eyes wide with concern. “I just can’t help but feel that something went on inside that prison, something that—I don’t know—changed her.”

“You’ve visited her, right? Shouldn’t you have gotten an inkling from that as well?”

“Yes, but a fifteen-minute talk on the phone behind a plexiglass screen isn’t enough to gauge her entire state. And also, we mostly just talked about the kids.”

Will sighs, straightening up in his seat as he finishes off his whiskey. “I don’t know, mate, but if I were you, I’d try not to think too deeply about it. Regina’s a complicated woman. We all knew that from the start.”

“And that’s what I love so much about her. She’s got so many facets, so many layers to her. She is spunky, bold, audacious, but at the same time, gentle, compassionate, generous, and of course stunning in every way.”

Will smirks at Robin. “You really are just as in love with her as you were when you two just met.”

“She’s everything to me,” Robin says, “She’s my entire world.”

“Then maybe you should remind her of that,” Will suggests, “You know, take her out properly without the kids, try and reconnect with her without any distraction. Even though you think she has changed, and maybe she has—I mean—jail can take a toll on any person, even someone as strong as her which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing, make her feel like she’s still the same. Make her feel like she’s still the same Regina that you see and love. I think she’ll appreciate that.”

Crossing his arms, Robin smiles at his friend in disbelief. “Since when did you become a couples therapist, Scarlet?”

Will laughs. “I’ve had some practice with Ana,” he says, “Like you, I’ve got my own firecracker at home—soon to be two once she’s ready to walk and talk.”

“Bless your soul,” Robin says, grinning as he lifts his glass to his friend.

“Bless yours, Robin.”

~ ~ ~

_It’s a good thing that the cell doors are made of dense metal and its walls of solid concrete, because otherwise, Regina and Mal would be having the entire block up in arms for their laughter in the middle of the night. It’s a cacophony of sound, mixed with lots of gasping, wheezing, and some unladylike snorting. The bag of laced pruno lies practically empty on the floor._

__

__

_“I can’t believe you did that!” Regina exclaims, holding her stomach. She lies upside down, her legs leaning up against the wall while her head just about dangles off the edge of the bed. Through her swirled, blurry vision, she can see Mal grinning down from beside her, proud as hell._

__

__

_“Oh, you bet I did,” Mal says, “He deserved it, that selfish prick. He was being a shit so what better punishment is there than to literally give him the shits? For the entire night!”_

__

__

_“Oh my God.”_

__

__

_“That’s half the bottle of laxatives right there, mixed into his brandy. The man was a mess. I got him proper drunk so he shat himself so many times.” Mal throws her head back, cackling again. “You should’ve seen him, Regina, the proud entitled CEO of Heights law firm waddling to the bathroom with shit all over him.”_

__

__

_Regina grins. “I wish I had the confidence you had,” she marvels, “Didn’t you get in trouble for that, though, the next day?”_

__

__

_Mal shakes her head. “Nope! The beauty of too much brandy is that he hardly remembered a thing.”_

__

__

_“Wow, that’s quite the story.”_

__

__

_“Indeed, dear. As dumb as my husband thought I was, I was always way ahead of him.”_

__

__

_Regina shakes her head, moving (with some difficulty) to sit back up straight, leaning her head back against the wall. “It’s a shame he never really took notice of you other than when he was either angry or drunk,” she says, looking over at Mal. “You seemed like quite the catch.”_

__

__

_At that, Mal lifts a brow. With a smirk, she inches closer to Regina. “You know, that’s the nicest thing anybody has ever said to me.”_

__

__

_“What? That you’re a catch?”_

__

__

_“Why yes.” Mal sighs. “Always whenever men—or women—look at me, they see someone who is cold, unapproachable, too self-important.”_

__

__

_“Well, you were a bit intimidating when I first met you, I have to admit,” Regina acknowledges._

__

__

_“Really?” Mal wriggles her brow, “I intimidated you?”_

__

__

_Regina swallows, shrugging. Something warm stirs ever so slightly in her core. “Maybe just a little.”_

__

__

_Grinning, the blonde shifts even closer. She lays a hand on Regina’s thigh, causing the brunette to take in a short breath. “You know what I think?”_

__

__

_Regina’s eyes flicker up at Mal. “What do you think?”_

__

__

_“I think you yourself can be very intimidating in your own right.”_

__

__

_“Well, yeah. I’m no doormat.”_

__

__

_“I think it would be incredibly hot to see you all riled up…,” Mal says, lifting a hand. She threads her fingers through a few strands of Regina’s hair. “…with those unbelievably dark eyes of yours staring daggers into the souls of your enemies, your deep and husky but alluring voice spouting out words that’ll knock a man to his knees.”_

__

__

_Regina remains still, lips slightly parted, captured in the blonde’s hazel eyes that seem to pierce right through her._

__

__

_“Robin’s a lucky man, you know,” Mal continues, stroking Regina’s hair, “I don’t know the guy, but I highly doubt that he’d appreciate you as much as I would if you just let yourself go. You can own the world, Regina, if you just allow yourself to take it. I can show you, if you want.”_

__

__

_Regina frowns, pulling away slightly. “What do you mean?”_

__

__

_“Have you ever kissed a woman?”_

__

__

_“N—no.”_

__

__

_Mal grins, cupping Regina’s cheek and bringing her close once more—so close that Regina feels her warm breath brush against her lips. “Do you want to?” She asks, her voice low and enticing._

__

__

_“I—don’t know.” Regina inhales and exhales, her chest rising and falling._

__

__

_“I think you do,” Mal says, “Everything about you tells me you want to. So why not?”_

__

__

_“It wouldn’t be right,” Regina mumbles, “Robin—”_

__

__

_“Robin will be there when you get out. But he’s not here right now. I am. And trust me, baby, I can take just as good a care of you as he. So…”_

__

__

_Mal leans even closer, quickening Regina’s heartbeat in return. The brunette feels soft lips brush against hers and she holds her breath. Mal probes a little further, opening Regina’s lips ever so slightly. She nips at Regina’s lower lip, causing the brunette to let out a soft gasp, of which Mal takes advantage and presses her lips even further, taking the kiss even deeper. And it isn’t long before Regina feels herself inevitably begin to respond. She moves her lips in tandem, her brows furrowing as a new sensation of warmth floods through her body. It’s overwhelming, but it just feels so nice. The moment Regina feels Mal’s tongue poke past hers is the moment her world begins to spin. Sounds of passionate kissing turns to echoes in the back of her mind as Regina feels her body grow limp in Mal’s arms. And before she knows it, everything goes black._

__

__

~ ~ ~

“Robin! Didn’t expect you to call. Is everything okay?” Regina lowers her cellphone to the desk, enabling the speaker so that she can continue on with writing her notes on the latest manuscript.

“No, love, everything’s fine,” Robin reassures, “I just wanted to call and see how you’re doing.”

Regina sighs, clicking her pen closed and leaning back in her chair. “I’m okay,” she answers, “Swamped with work but that’s to be expected. I like to see it as a good thing, though, proves that I’m still needed around here.”

Her husband’s soft adoring chuckle rings from the other end of the line. “That’s my wife,” he says sweetly.

“How about you? Aren’t you supposed to be marking out a new trail right now?”

“I’m on my break from that, actually stepped away to make a few phone calls.”

“Really?” Regina raises a brow. “To who?”

“Well, to you… and to Storybrooke Harbor Restaurant.”

The brunette sits up straight. “Storybrooke—what? Why?”

“Well, I was thinking, with all that’s been happening, we haven’t had a proper night to ourselves. And I think we deserve to spend time with each other, alone and without any distractions.”

“But what about the children?”

“Belle is willing to look after them. You don’t have to worry.”

A small smile tugs at the corners of Regina’s lips as she shakes her head fondly. “You really thought this through, didn’t you?”

“Yup,” Robin hums. The brunette can just imagine her husband smiling his wide, dimpled smile into the phone. “Your ride leaves at six pm sharp. Don’t be late!”

Regina laughs, unable to tamper her grin. “Of course, dear,” she replies, “I promise.”

After that call, the brunette is compelled to work even harder to go home earlier in order to have enough time to prepare. A sort of eagerness stirs butterflies in Regina’s stomach as time at the office passes. Robin’s invitation was highly unexpected. It reminds her of when they were younger and he’d just begun to court her. He’d always call her up and ask her out at the last minute, earning him the reputation of being spontaneous—a trait that infuriated Regina as much as it excited her. A wave of nostalgia rolls over the brunette as she reminisces about the past, missing that time when things were far simpler than they are now. Sure, they had their fair share of problems at the time like her mother’s disapproval and his father’s illness. But they got through it all together, an ability turned superpower when it came to far more tumultuous circumstances.

It’s five o’clock when Regina walks through the front door of her home. Heels clicking on the hardwood floor, she heads straight up to the bedroom to change. With the house empty, the boys having been taken by Belle to the park, the brunette is quick to indulge in a bit of time to prepare herself physically and mentally for her date with Robin—their first official date together in six years, perhaps even longer due to the fact that they were taking care of even younger children.

It takes Regina a good ten minutes trying to figure out what to wear. Having tried a few dresses on, she’s not so pleased to find that she’d gained just a little bit of weight from her ordeal of sitting in prison all day. In the end, she settles with a knee-length black blazer dress that wraps around her curves and is fastened with a black belt and large silver buckle. Having decided on that, she pairs it with black suede heeled boots and a burgundy trench coat. Regina didn’t have time to shower and do-over her hair, so she consigns herself to her hair straightener to smooth out any wayward curls that might’ve popped up during the day. The last thing she does is redo her makeup, applying heavier eye-shadow and even darker rouge lipstick. 

When all is done, Regina stares at herself in the mirror, in awe at the fact that her reflection really hadn’t changed, while at the same time, emotionally and mentally she feels so different. Her heart thumps hard in her chest as she feels the pressure rise. More than anything, Regina is set on making whatever happened last night up to Robin. More than anything, she wants and is ready to reconnect with him on a more intimate level after having spent so much time apart. Coming back from what she’d been through, she has this second chance, and she’ll be damned if she messes it up.

Five-thirty is when Regina hears the front door open and close, the telltale sound of heavy boots walking up the stairwell bounces off the tall ceiling. Regina is just emerging from the ensuite when Robin walks into the bedroom. The moment their eyes meet, Robin freezes mid-step, jaw dropping practically to the floor. Regina can’t help the warmth in her cheeks as her husband runs his eyes up and down her form.

“You know it’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” she quips, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She walks over to her vanity, retrieving one of her favorite delicate silver bracelets to wear. “You better close your mouth before something flies into it.”

In the corner of her eye, Robin’s mouth snaps shut. “Of course, it’s just… you’re absolutely breathtaking.” He approaches Regina from behind as she fastens on a pair of silver hoop earrings. However, just as he goes to embrace her, the brunette is shifting away.

“No, no you don’t,” Regina says, wiggling her brow, “Not when you’re all sweaty and smelling like forest.”

Robin grins. “You like it, I know you do,” he responds, planting a kiss to her cheek regardless of her little whimper in protest.

“Yes, yes, now go take a shower,” Regina commands with a laugh, “Or else for the first time it’ll be you who’s late.”

~ ~ ~

Gentle silver beams of the rising moon flicker off the waters of Storybrooke Bay by the time Regina and Robin reach the port. They walk hand-in-hand up the dock and towards the restaurant entrance. Immediately upon arrival, the couple are given a seat by the window, allowing them a beautiful view out over the sparkling water.

As they begin to look at their respective menus, Regina is distracted as she can immediately sense eyes on her from across the table. Her premonition is only confirmed when, after five minutes, she lifts her head to see Robin quietly studying her.

Regina frowns slightly. “What?”

Robin shakes his head, chuckling softly. “Nothing,” he says, “You’re just so beautiful.”

Regina snorts, shaking her own head as a smile pulls at her lips. “You’re just full of compliments and romantic acts of love today, aren’t you?”

“I suppose.” Robin shrugs. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No, not at all,” Regina says, “I mean, I’ll take it but what gives?”

Her husband sighs, running a hand through his hair. Regina watches as strands of peppery gold slide back before falling back down onto his forehead as he lowers his hand. “I just, I feel like I haven’t been indulging you much.”

“Robin, I’m not a baby.”

“Of course, love. And I would never treat you as such. It’s just with you coming home and having to go through a bunch of changes, I feel like I should be doing more.”

Regina tilts her head. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Take a few days off instead of going back to work. Maybe not letting you go back to work so soon and take us all to the cabin in the forest for a quick getaway to recuperate.”

The brunette sighs. “Robin, you know how much I wanted to continue the life I’d lived before all of this happened. You know how I wanted to get back to normal as quick as possible. Taking us away for a vacation only would’ve stalled that.” Regina reaches forward, taking Robin’s hand. “I know you’re worried about my mental health. But I’m all right. Really, I am. I’m very happy that I’ve started getting my life back together even though it may be challenging. If anything, going away would’ve just delayed the inevitable.”

“You’re right,” Robin says, smoothing his thumb back and forth over Regina’s hand. “But Regina, I can’t help but feel like something is off. Ever since you came home and started work, you’ve been so tense. I feel like I’ve been walking on eggshells around you.” He pauses, searching Regina’s wide brown eyes for the unspoken answer. “I love you, Regina. And I’ll do everything I can to help and support you. But you need to talk to me.”

“I… just need to figure things out,” Regina answers after a moment of silent hesitation, “There are some issues at work and—”

“Issues? What issues?”

The brunette shakes her head. “Nothing, just trying to readjust to new protocol and technology… and being in the same building as Nottingham again.”

“Nottingham? Keith Nottingham?”

“The one and only.”

Robin frowns. “I thought he would’ve let go of the entire promotion situation by now.”

“Yes well, with a man like Keith, apparently a grudge knows no limits.” Regina blows out a breath. “He’s mad that August let me keep my senior position in the company.”

“Well, you did earn that promotion. I thought August said that nothing would change that.”

“He did, and he stuck by it. But for the time I was away, he made Keith the acting senior editor.” The brunette shakes her head once more. “I honestly think that was a mistake on August’s part, giving that man a taste of that power and then taking it away from him. He’s really pissed.”

Robin furrows his brows, a look of concern washing over his face. “He’s not picking on you because of it, is he?”

Regina takes a deep breath. “Yes he is, but that’s nothing new. It’s just irritating that now, with my situation and what’s happened, he has even more ammo to throw.” She thinks back to her encounter with Nottingham in the parking lot, the unsaid threat he made written as clear as day in the looks he gave her. “He’s all bark and no bite,” she says.

“I hope so,” Robin replies with a small smile. “Just keep me updated though, please? If there’s anything I can do to help get him off your back, you know I’ll do it.”

Regina smiles. “What did I do to deserve you?” She asks with a sigh.

Her husband chuckles, turning his hand in hers and bringing it up to his lips to press a soft kiss to her knuckles. Just as he lowers their hands, the waiter comes by, oblivious to their conversation.

“Are you ready to order?”

Robin nods eagerly as Regina swallows, completely having forgotten to choose what to eat. “Yes,” he says, glancing over at the brunette who reluctantly gives him a small nod before looking back at the menu to quickly pick a dish. “I’m starving.”

~ ~ ~

_The cell’s artificial light is far too bright this morning—for some reason, even more so than usual. Regina’s turns onto her back, her stomach flipping as she maneuvers herself with difficulty. Squeezing her eyes tightly, she raises a hand to her forehead, feeling small beads of sweat. Her head is pounding and there’s a throbbing in her ears. Add that with the nausea and Regina is certain she will puke in the foreseeable future._

__

__

_“That’s quite the hangover you’ve got, dear,” Mal says, her voice coming across somewhat echoey. Suddenly, Regina feels a cool wet lump of what she can assume is paper towel press to her forehead. “I suppose asking how you feel is a bit redundant.”_

__

__

_Regina peeks an eye open, briefly catching a glimpse at the blonde hovering over her before snapping it shut once again. “I feel like shit.” Her voice is scratchy and hoarse, her throat dry._

__

__

_“Well, we did drink that whole bag,” Mal says matter-of-factly._

__

__

_“How are you not hungover?”_

__

__

_“I’m used to it, dear.”_

__

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_“What are you, an alcoholic or something?”_

__

__

_Mal laughs. “No, Regina, I’m not.”_

__

__

_Regina sighs, slowly opening her eyes and moving to sit up. Surprisingly, the room doesn’t spin as much as she thought it would. She props herself up against the wall behind her pillow. “What happened?” She asks, frowning as she tries to recall the previous night’s events. Her memory is fuzzy at best._

__

__

_“You don’t remember?”_

__

__

_The brunette shakes her head, instantly regretting the action. “I remember us talking, laughing a lot. And—” Regina’s brows pull together before her eyes widen and she presses her fingertips to her lips. “Oh no…”_

__

__

_Mal grins. “Oh yes,” she drawls, “And you, my lovely, are a very good kisser.”_

__

__

_Regina gapes at her cellmate. “Why?”_

__

__

_The blonde looks taken aback. “What do you mean, why? You seemed to be loving it.”_

__

__

_“I was drunk!”_

__

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_“So was I, dear.” Mal wiggles her brow, giving her a small seductive smirk._

__

__

_“Oh God.” Regina runs her fingers through her hair. If she didn’t wake up sober and wasn’t so two seconds ago, she certainly is now. “We didn’t… um… do anything else, did we?”_

__

__

_Mal throws her head back, laughing. Regina flinches at her reaction. “No, baby, I promise,” she says before adding, “Why? Did you want to do anything else?”_

__

__

_Regina’s eyes widen again. “What? No! Absolutely not!”_

__

__

_“Why not?”_

__

__

_“What do you mean, why not?!” Regina explodes, “You’re my cellmate. We’re in prison. That’s against the rules, and I don’t have time to be written up and thrown into Ad-Seg because of you.”_

__

__

_“Regina, Regina,” Mal placates, sitting next to her on the edge of the bed. “No one’s going to get through into administrative segregation. Relationships happen all the time in jail. I mean, what do you expect? A bunch of people—men, women—of all different sexual orientations locked in one place with nothing to do. We find ways, and we’re very good at being stealthy.”_

__

__

_“Mal, no. That just seems messy. I have no interested in getting into drama like that, I’ve only known you for like two and a half weeks, and oh! One little detail, I’m married!” Regina throws her hands in the air._

__

__

_“That didn’t really seem to bother you last night though, did it?”_

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_Regina glares at Mal._

__

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_“Come on, Regina. You can’t deny you didn’t feel something.”_

__

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_The brunette looks away. The previous fuzziness fades away from her mind, giving way to memories of warm soft lips pressed against hers, the heat churning in her stomach, the excitement—the electricity—that flooded through her veins at something she’d never done before._

__

__

_“You did feel something,” Mal concludes, giving Regina a knowing smile. The latter feels her cheeks begin to heat. “I told you, dear. In this place, you’ll discover things about yourself you’d never even known."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts??


	5. Incessant Obsessions

Robin sighs as he stoops down to tie up the shoelaces of his hardy forestry boots. He thinks back to the night before, his date with Regina, and can’t help but continue to worry for her sake, despite her reassurance. There’s that look in her eye, the same hidden expression she sported when her mother was picking on her and being quite disapproving of their marriage. It was the same hidden expression when she’d come home that fateful night before she was arrested, Robin having been somewhat confused by her off mood, yes—but none the wiser with regards to what had really occurred. The man yearns to trust Regina like he had before everything happened. So hard has he convinced himself that even now he has come to trust her once again. But deep down, he knows that a piece of his trust has and will be broken off and lost for quite a long time.

It’s ten in the morning when Robin grabs his coat, just about ready to head off to Storybrooke Forestry Services, only to be interrupted by a sudden ring to the landline. Frowning in confusion, as no one ever calls the landline anymore (they should’ve gotten rid of it months ago), he heads towards the study. Upon reaching the phone, Robin peers at the unknown number, skin prickling ever so slightly. Though the man immediately shakes his head, chastising himself for his own paranoia, before deciding to answer.

“Hello—?”

“Regina, my dear!” A woman’s smooth, sultry voice talks over him, exclaiming her welcome from the other end before abruptly gasping. “Wait, you’re not Regina.”

“No,” Robin says, “I’m her husband. Who are you?” His voice perhaps comes out a little harsher than expected.

“Mal,” the woman answers flippantly, “Regina said to call this number.”

“Wait, wait, how do you know Regina?”

“We met in Hyperion Heights jail of course,” Mal explains, and Robin feels that prickle once more. “We became quite close actually.”

Robin shakes his head. “She never mentioned anything to me about you.”

“Oh she wouldn’t, would she?” The woman sighs, “You know Regina—quiet, reserved, not willing to give any information up so easily. Does she even talk at all about her time here at all?”

The man narrows his eyes, sinking into the office chair as he runs a hand through his hair. “No,” he says slowly, not liking this woman’s implication that he doesn’t know his own wife as much as he thinks he does—even worse, the fact that he might even believe it.

“Oh well, I’m sure she’ll tell you in time, but it’s of no matter,” Mal says before clearing her throat, “I was just calling to see how she’s doing adjusting back into her picturesque little life. You know I am quite jealous. You’ll pass on my message for me, yeah? Promise you’ll tell her to give me a call back.”

Despite his urge to selfishly decline and keep this call to himself, Robin begrudgingly nods, letting out a long breath. “Fine.”

“Wonderful!” Mal replies cheerfully, “I’ll be off now. It’s great to meet the husband, though, Regina’s spoken very highly of you.”

“Uh, thanks.”

“Of course,” Mal says, “Make sure you continue to take good care of her.”

“Of course I will.” Robin grits his teeth as he tries to tamper down his offended ego.

“Bye now.”

“Bye.”

Robin places the phone back into its dock beside the desktop before leaning back in the chair, both his hands coming up to swipe down his face. “Bloody hell, Regina,” he mutters.

~ ~ ~

_Showering in prison is something else. There’s nothing that makes Regina’s insides twist in disgust than entering the shower and toilet area. It smells and it’s dirty. There’s scraps of toilet paper on the floors. It’s just gross. Therefore, when Regina does have to go into that space, she tries to make her visits as brief as humanly possible._

__

_So as one could imagine, the brunette is hurrying herself out of that despicable place when she just about broadsides another woman who is entering._

__

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_“Watch where you’re going!” A vaguely familiar voice snaps, that crisp shrill of a tone echoing off the walls of the otherwise unoccupied stalls._

__

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_Regina’s eyes widen. She wraps her towel even tighter around her chest as she finds herself staring into piercing bluish green eyes. “Zelena!”_

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_“It had to be you, didn’t it?”_

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_“Excuse me?”_

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_“I figured I’d run into you at some point or another in this abysmal place. You’ve got quite a reputation, you know.”_

__

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_Regina shakes her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She tries to scoot past the redhead only to have the other woman haughtily shift to block her path._

__

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_“Oh I think you do,” Zelena says, “Don’t play dumb. We all have noticed Graham cozying up to you. Looks like he found himself a new toy.”_

__

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_“That’s ridiculous,” Regina spits, trying to once more move past Zelena to no avail. She glares at the redhead. “I’m not a toy. And there’s no cozying at all. Officer Graham seems like a respectable man.”_

__

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_Zelena sneers. “‘Seems’ is definitely the operating word here, my pretty. Of course he seems respectable. But you’re just another woman on that long list of his.”_

__

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_Regina crosses her arms, feeling highly offended as she pins the woman with a dark stare. “What makes you think I’m interested?” She snaps, “Do you think I want to spend more time here?”_

__

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_“Oh come on, Regina,” Zelena whines, “A woman like you thrives on being the center of attention. But deny all you want, dear. It’s what you’re best at.”_

__

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_Regina steps closer, her eyes narrowing. “What are you talking about?”_

__

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_“I know what you did,” Zelena hisses, holding her chin up high, “Not just know, but I know exactly why you’re here.”_

__

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_“So? I don’t understand. What’s that to you?”_

__

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_“Oh it’s everything to me, dear.” Zelena steps forward, positioning herself right in the brunette’s face. “And trust me. Your time in jail is only the beginning of what’s to come.”_

__

__

_With those words leaving Regina standing rigid and breathless, Zelena brushes past, stalking into one of the shower stalls._

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~ ~ ~

The front door clicks shut as Regina immediately kicks off her heels the moment she crosses the threshold. She sighs in relief as she feels her stocking feet hit the cool wooden floor. Padding into the kitchen, Regina spots Robin over at the stove, cooking up what looks like a few fish filets.

“Hey,” the brunette greets, moving to press a kiss to her husband’s cheek.

“Hey,” Robin echoes, briefly glancing up at Regina before turning his attention back towards the sizzling pan.

“How was work?”

“Good. You?”

Regina heads towards the refrigerator. “Busy,” she sighs, pulling out an open bottle of merlot. With that in hand, she heads over to the cupboard to grab a wine glass. “I had back to back meetings all day with August and the other editors. I also took on another new intern fresh from Storybrooke Community College. She’s nice enough. Doesn’t have the greatest resume on the planet but she’s a hard worker, according to the one job she did have.”

“Nice.”

Regina frowns. Turning to stare at Robin, one arm crossed over her middle as she rests the other on top, sipping lightly at her freshly poured glass of wine. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Robin says with a small shake of his head, eyes still trained on the fish. “I’m fine.”

“No you’re not,” Regina states, stepping up beside him. “What’s wrong?” In the brief but torturous moment of silence, she can see the jaw muscle outlined in his profile.

“I got a call today.”

“Oh?” The brunette’s brows furrow even more. “From who?”

“Some woman you know… from prison. She said her name is Mal.”

Upon hearing her name, Regina’s heart freezes. Eyes widening, she lowers her glass to the counter. “What—what did she want?”

Robin shakes his head again. “She was asking for you,” he says, “Wanted to see how you’re doing.”

“Oh.” Regina averts her eyes to the ground.

“She said you two were really close.”

Regina feels Robin’s eyes bore into the back of her skull as she turns to put the wine away. “We were…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

The brunette sighs, closing the refrigerator door. Leaving her hand resting on the handle, she stares at the dejected look in Robin’s eyes. “I didn’t think it was that important,” she answers slowly, carefully.

“Not important?” Robin says, approaching her. “She called to see how you were. That means she was worried about you, that she cares for you.”

Regina sighs, brushing past him grab some plates to start setting the table. “Yes, well she’s history now.”

“That very tone you give me tells me she’s not.”

Regina turns, glaring at her husband with the plates in hand. “Robin, would you just let it go?”

“Why are you being so standoffish?”

“Because she doesn’t matter anymore.”

“She was a part of your life, Regina,” Robin says, “Not to mention, a part of a very difficult time in your life.”

“So?”

“So I want to know. About her, about prison, about everything!”

“If you wanted to know so bad you would’ve been there for me,” Regina rebuts, “Right from the beginning!”

“Regina, I—”

“No, Robin,” Regina interrupts, “For the first couple months, you chose not to visit. You chose not to come see me.”

“And I continue to regret that choice. You know I do! I’ve told you already, I—”

“Yes, yes, Robin, you couldn’t handle it. You couldn’t believe what had happened so you chose to ignore it, ignore me.”

“No, that’s not like that.”

“Yes it was,” Regina says, tears welling up in her eyes, “You were too scared to face me any more so you cut me out. I needed you!”

“Regina, if I could go back and fix it, I would. I would give anything to have been there for you, to support you. But don’t you see? I’m trying to make up for that. I really am. I chose not to be a part of what happened for a long time because I was guilty and scared, for our family and for the kids. And you’re right, I didn’t want to face that. But now, I really want to try and correct that.” Robin walks over to Regina. Taking the plates from her hand, he sets them down before moving both hands up to cup her face. “I want to know everything about your experience in that place, Regina, because I do care, and I want to understand. And maybe you distancing yourself is my fault and I’m sorry for that. I’m so sorry.”

Regina lets out a shaky breath, closing her eyes and leaning into Robin’s touch. A few tears slip out from under her eyelids, trailing down her cheeks, only to be wiped away by her husband’s fingers. “It was horrible,” she whispers, her voice trembling, “I was miserable. All the time. And it hurts, Robin. It really, really hurts to talk about it.” Regina shakes her head, taking Robin’s hands and lowering them from her face. She looks up into his sad blue eyes. “I don’t want to even talk anything about the subject anymore. I just want to move on.”

“I know, Regina,” Robin says, pulling her into his arms. He embraces her tightly. “I know.”

~ ~ ~

The rest of the atmosphere, all through dinner was quiet. And even though both parents did their best to act cheerfully around their kids, engaging in superficial talk about everyone’s day, everyone could sense that something was slightly off.

When it was time, Roland and Henry were sent off according to their respective bedtimes without a hitch. Regina still resorts to poking her head into Henry’s room to bid him goodnight, rather than enter fully, because despite her efforts, the teenager still retains his distant demeanor.

With all necessary activity having concluded for the night, Regina peeks into the living room to find Robin watch some sort of mindless television. Sighing softly, she stays at the room’s entrance, quietly observing him. His eyes are watching the screen, but she can tell that they’re clouded over; all the worry she has caused blinding him to what’s right in front. 

With her heart heavy, Regina turns away and steals into the office. After closing the door, she makes her way to the desk and sits herself down. Pulling out a pen, a blank sheet of paper, and an envelope, Regina takes a deep breath. She chews on the end of the pen as the words start to form inside her mind, evoking a mixture of sadness, guilt, and frustration. And with those feelings, she begins to compose the letter.

_Mal,_

__

__

_I got your message from Robin. And I know you meant well. But you called our house, and that’s something you absolutely cannot do again. I know I gave you the number, but that was during a moment of weakness. What happened between us is in the past. I told you before and I’ll tell you again, whatever happened between us is done. And whatever we were is over. I’m with Robin now. I’m with my family. I’m finally back where I belong. And if you still feel the same things you said you’ve felt for me before, you’ll know that letting me go is the best thing to do._

__

__

_As I’ve told you, I wish you all the best. And I hope that someday you’ll be able to be free of that horrific place. But for now, find someone new to hang on to, someone to pass the time with, someone who’ll really feel for you as you did for me. And from the bottom of my heart, I really hope you do._

__

__

_All the best,  
Regina_

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__

~ ~ ~

_Regina is sitting quietly at her usual spot in the lunch room when another tray suddenly slaps down on the table across from her._

__

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_“So how much longer are you going to pretend like I don’t exist, hm?” Mal demands, her blue eyes glaring._

__

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_Regina tentatively looks up from her meal. “I’m doing no such thing,” she defends, “Right now, I’m simply enjoying whatever this pig slop of a lunch is.”_

__

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_“Don’t play dumb with me,” Mal barks, “We both know you’ve been avoiding me, hardly ever looking my way or speaking a word to me, all the while you indulge Humbert’s advances.”_

__

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_“That’s a lie, Mal. Officer Graham is making no advances whatsoever.”_

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_“Yes yes, him coming over to visit you every single time he’s supervising Day Room, the way you two look at one another from across the room. Keep calling him Officer Graham, Regina, the formalities are definitely working.”_

__

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_“Will you cut it out?!” Regina exclaims, slamming her fork down, “I’m so sick and tired of people speculating that I’m involved in some star-crossed, dramatic relationship. I’m not!”_

__

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_“Okay, Regina, whatever you say.” Mal rolls her eyes. “But I suppose it really doesn’t matter since I already have one leg up on everybody when it comes to you, dear, a subject that you still have yet to acknowledge.”_

__

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_“What’s there to acknowledge?” Regina retorts before lowering her voice, “We kissed. So what?”_

__

__

_“Excuse me?! So what?”_

__

__

_“It was a moment of weakness, a weakness that’s now in the past.”_

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_“Regina, you know, just because it was in the past doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, and that you can go on and keep ignoring it.” Mal frowns, giving the brunette a pointed look. “I think you’re scared.”_

__

__

_“What? No!” Regina’s eyes widen._

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_The blonde gives her a wide smirk in response. “Yes, I think you are,” she insists, “What are you scared of?”_

__

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_“N—nothing.” Regina lowers her gaze, trailing her fork through her food._

__

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_“Are you scared of me?” The brunette can feel Mal’s eyes boring into the top of her skull as she grits her teeth. “Or maybe because I’m a woman? You did mention—”_

__

__

_“I’m scared because I loved it!” Regina explodes, looking up at Mal with a wild, confused look in her eye. “The way it felt…”_

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__

_Surprisingly, Mal doesn’t flash her typical I-told-you-so smirk that Regina expected. There’s a sort of sincerity flickering in her bright blue eyes. “How did it feel?” She asks softly._

__

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_Swallowing hard, Regina blinks. “I don’t know,” she answers, “It just felt… good.”_

__

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_“Different?”_

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__

_Regina nods._

__

__

_“Would you do it again?”_

__

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_Regina can’t help but nod again. Though, she adds, “But I can’t. You know I can’t.”_

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_“But, Regina, this is a part of you. Why deny it?”_

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_“Just because I kissed a woman once doesn’t mean I’m—”_

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_“Of course. But don’t you want to explore further and see?” Shaking her head, the blonde reaches forward and takes Regina’s hand. “Look, I like you, Regina.” Mal shrugs. “I’m not afraid to say it. I’m a strong bisexual woman and I’m proud of it.”_

__

__

_“Mal, I—” Regina’s eyes widen as the blonde suddenly leans over the table, giving a quick peck to her lips. It ignites a spark of energy that sizzles its way through the brunette’s body, leaving her frozen. Wildly, she scans the room to make sure that no one saw what just happened in that brief two seconds. Glancing back at Mal’s soulful, pleading expression, Regina is taken aback, having never seen the woman looking so desperate. “I don’t understand,” Regina says, “What is it about me?”_

__

__

_“Just everything,” Mal insists, “I see so much of myself in you. Regina, my life is hell. First I was trapped in that ghastly mansion, married to someone I didn’t love, and now I’m trapped here. You’re the first person who I’ve come across who really makes my life bearable and worth living. You don’t get the dark place I was in before you stepped into my cell.”_

__

__

_“Mal, I don’t know what to say,” Regina whispers, her dark eyes glistening._

__

__

_“Tell me that you feel nothing,” Mal says, “Tell me that my touch doesn’t give you some kind of feeling.”_

__

__

_Looking away, Regina slides her hands back from Mal’s. Though even when denying the other woman, the brunette can’t escape the physical attraction that has begun to take hold the moment their lips touched that night—no, the moment they first met, when her hand had first touched her cheek._

__

__

~ ~ ~

“Regina, you have a visitor.”

Regina frowns as she places down the latest manuscript. Plucking her reading glasses from her nose, she sets them down on the desk next to the stack of papers. “Who?” She asks.

“Officer Graham? From the Hyperion Heights Correctional Facility?” Tink inches closer to Regina’s desk before lowering her voice, “Is everything okay?”

Regina snaps her gaping mouth closed, shaking the surprise away with a shake of her head. “Uh no. No! Everything’s fine,” she says quickly, brows still furrowed. She waves a hand towards the door. “Send him in.”

With a confused look on her face, Tink turns and heads back into the hall. Regina holds her breath as a moment or two passes before her assistant returns with the officer in tow.

“Officer Humbert,” Regina greets stoically, standing from her chair. “I don’t recall expecting a visit from you today.”

Graham briefly glances behind his shoulder at Tink who gives him a wordless nod before exiting. The door clicks shut. “You look well, Regina,” the man says, turning back to the brunette.

Regina swallows hard as he runs his eyes up and down her navy blue skirt suit. There is a sort of intrigue and admiration in the officer’s eyes, especially since he’d only been privy to seeing her in a prison uniform. Now she stands before him as what he would perceive as a new woman, dressed for business, hair soft, wavy, and just barely dusting her shoulders.

“Why are you here, Graham?”

The officer shakes his head. “I’m just here to see how you’re doing. And to deliver this letter.”

Regina frowns. “What letter?”

“It’s from your former cellmate, Mal.”

Regina’s lips pop open, caught off guard once again.

“She begged me to give it to you in person,” Graham adds, producing the letter from his jacket and holding it out. “She said she received your letter a few days ago. I’m assuming this is a response to that letter.”

Tentatively, Regina takes the envelope, her heart thudding hard against her ribcage. With some hesitation, she rips it open and takes out a slightly wrinkled sheet of paper. With a small exhale, the brunette runs a finger over the scrawling, superfluous script-like writing.

_Regina,_

__

__

_It has pained me so much to read your letter, darling. You’re all I can think about now that you’re gone. And I envy you, truly envy you for your freedom, your ability to get back to your life, and for having a people you love right beside you. I know you want nothing to do with me anymore, and I honestly don’t blame you. But I don’t regret a second of our time together. And as much as you may want to wipe it all away and claim that we didn’t exist, I implore you to please don’t forget about me. I love you, Regina. Always have and always will._

__

__

_Mal_

__

__

Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, Regina folds up the letter and shoves it back into the envelope. “Take it,” she commands, thrusting it back towards Graham, “Throw it out, shred it. I don’t want it.”

Sighing, the officer obeys. “You know, all that time, I had an inkling of what was going on between you two,” he admits. “Mal didn’t even have to say anything and I could guess what these letters are all about.”

“So you didn’t and still aren’t going to do anything,” Regina says, crossing her arms, “You’re not going to report Mal, or even me?”

“Why would I want to do anything to you?”

The brunette shrugs, a cold look in her eye. “I don’t know. Maybe you’d want to get back at me for rejecting you by arguing that what Mal and I were implicitly involved in was a felony. You could potentially get me thrown back into prison if you really wanted to.” Regina snorts. “But don’t forget, you were no different than she was. It’s a fucking miracle that you haven’t been discovered and lost your job yet. Though, I promise you, if you ever decide to take me down, I’ll bring you right along with me.”

“Regina,” Graham raises his hands, “I’m not looking to destroy anybody, especially you.”

“Then why do you care about what I was involved with concerning Mal?”

“Because I was jealous, okay?” The officer groans, running a hand through his hair. “She was able to keep your attention while I was not.”

“If you were so jealous, then you could’ve stopped it.”

“I liked you, Regina. I wasn’t about to get you in even more trouble than you already were in. If I’d reported you then, you’d still be in jail right now. So I refused to do it then, and I refuse to do it now.”

“So you still have feelings for me?”

Stepping forward, Graham nods, his gray eyes wide and yearning like a puppy’s.

Regina shakes her head. “I don’t know why the hell everybody has developed some grade-school crush, this obsession. Why can’t you guys just let me go?”

Sighing deeply, Graham shakes his head. “I’ve been asking that same question myself,” Graham replies, “But as I’ve said before, Regina, there’s something about you—something that’s so alluring, captivating, dangerous. You stir up all sorts of feelings in people. You just have this presence that’s hard to resist.”

Regina looks away, her eyes settling on the slightly wilted flowers, those same flowers Robin had bought her days ago, on her window sill. “What if I want to get rid of that? What if I don’t want to be that fantasy that you both have in your heads about me?”

“I’m not sure that’s possible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts??
> 
> I know this may seem kind of DragonQueen-y at the moment but I promise you, OQ endgame all the way!


	6. Little Misgivings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing well. I have for you another update. It's slightly shorter, and a bit of a filler chapter but hopefully y'all will be able to gain more insights on everything that's been going on.
> 
> OQPromptParty on Twitter starts next week, hosted by the Twitter account of the same name. I'm hoping to incorporate some of the prompts in the next chapter as part of my submissions for the event, that I'm aiming to post either in the middle or at the end of the week! So you can look forward to that.
> 
> Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to let me know what you think! Thanks again for your support!

Regina is surprised to find Henry still doing his homework at the kitchen table, even as she now occupies the space, having craved her usual glass of wine after a long day’s work. Her earlier conversation with Graham had not helped and served as an unwelcoming distraction her entire time at the office.

“Can I get you a snack?” The brunette offers, glancing at her son who sits hunched over a textbook.

“No,” Henry answers, keeping his eyes trained on the text. “I had some chips earlier.”

“I wouldn’t quite call that healthy,” Regina admonishes gently, sipping at her drink. She leans against the counter across from where Henry is seated.

The boy snorts in reply. “I’m surprised you still care.”

His crude remark has Regina’s brow arch. “Of course I care,” she retorts, “And I also care about that attitude you keep giving me. I know a lot of stuff has happened and I’m trying to be a little lenient on your consistent rocky mood as well as give you your space to work things out, but Henry, you’re being very rude. Like it or not, I’m still your mother.”

Henry looks up at her with accusatory brown eyes. “Yeah but that doesn’t mean you can just come back and say things like that like nothing’s ever happened. It just doesn’t work.”

“Then what do you want me to do, Henry?” Regina asks, approaching slowly. She leans over the table, her weight on her arms as she looks her son in the eye.

Henry remains silent.

“I know you want me to leave,” Regina says, “You even told me yourself, that I should’ve stayed gone.” Sighing, she shifts to take a seat, resting her arms crossed on the table. “I suppose things would’ve been a lot easier that way wouldn’t it?”

The fact that her son continues to maintain eye contact tells her “yes.”

“You know, sometimes I’d wished that I could just disappear. It probably would’ve saved everyone from a whole lot of pain. I could’ve just disappeared without a trace and let everyone forget about me. That way, there’d be no way I could ever hurt anyone again.”

“So why didn’t you?”

Regina’s gaze softens. “Because I’d be abandoning you. You and Roland mean more to me than anything in the whole world. As a mother, I just couldn’t bring myself to do that. When you’re a parent, you’ll understand.”

“If we really meant so much to you, then why didn’t you fight to stay with us in the first place?”

“Because I needed to take the punishment I deserved,” Regina answers truthfully. “No matter how hard I could’ve tried for an appeal or a plea deal, I knew it wouldn’t be right.” Reaching forward, she grabs onto Henry’s hand, holding it tightly. “Of course I didn’t want to leave you, Henry. But what kind of person would I be if I copped out on the punishment they gave me? What kind of mother would I be, teaching my children that a person could get away with his or her crimes? It didn’t feel right, and I knew that I had to face my time no matter how much it hurt.”

Henry sighs, lowering his eyes. “Guess I never thought of it that way.”

Regina smiles a little. “Like I said, when you’re a parent, which one day I’m sure you’ll be, you’ll understand more of where I’m coming from. And as your mother, I know that I will never be able to understand exactly what you and Roland have gone through. It’s impossible. But what is possible is that I will try my best to be here for the both of you now.” Regina shakes her head. “We’ve lost so many years together, Henry, and that’s not something we’ll ever be able to get back. But I’m willing to put in every effort to try and be as close as we once were, if that’s what you want. But you have to give me a chance. And you have to be open in telling me what you want me to do.”

Pulling his hands away, Henry slouches back in his seat. “I don’t know, Mom,” he groans, slapping an arm over his eyes, “It’s all too hard.”

Regina chuckles softly. “I know, sweetheart,” she says. She thinks back to the earlier carefree days: playing at the park, maxing out the limit in book rentals at the library, feeding seagulls at the beach, sipping lemonade and sharing ice cream. “How about this,” Regina states, reaching over to pull Henry’s arm away from his face. “Why don’t I take you and Roland out to Any Given Sundae this weekend for some alone time? Just the three of us. We can order the usual or start a new tradition and try something new, whatever you want.”

Her son gives her an interested side-eye. “Whatever I want?” He asks, having perked up ever so slightly.

“Whatever you want,” Regina confirms.

“Even a double?”

“You can make it a triple so long as you recognize that it’s only a special occasion.”

Henry snorts a short laugh.

“So what do you say?”

A pregnant pause. Then, “Fine. But only for the ice cream.”

At his response, Regina has to tamper the massive grin that threatens to spread across her face. “Of course,” she says, feeling just a tad bit lighter now, “Only for the ice cream.”

~ ~ ~

_“I see you’re writing a letter.”_

__

__

_Regina sighs. Shaking her head as she places her pen down, the brunette lifts her eyes to find Graham standing above her yet again. “You know you need to stop coming over here,” she says, “People are starting to talk and I’m tired of hearing—”_

__

__

_“Then let them talk, Regina,” Graham says, taking a seat across from her. “What does it matter to you?”_

__

__

_“It matters because whatever you’re trying to do is wrong.”_

__

__

_“I see nothing wrong in seeing how my inmates are doing.”_

__

__

_“Your inmates?” Regina scoffs, “Or your inmate?”_

__

__

_The officer laughs. “Regardless, how are you doing?”_

__

__

_The brunette rolls her eyes at his relentlessness. “I’m fine.”_

__

__

_“Who’s the letter to?”_

__

__

_“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”_

__

__

_Graham sighs. “Perhaps not. But you know, sometimes it may be helpful to talk about what’s making you upset rather than keep it inside.”_

__

__

_“I thought it was a prison rule not to divulge all your secrets,” Regina sniffs, to which the officer simply shrugs. “And what makes you think that I’m upset?”_

__

__

_“The fact that you looked like you were about to cry a few minutes ago.”_

__

__

_Blowing out a long breath, Regina lowers her eyes back to the piece of paper in front of her. “It’s to my family back home.”_

__

__

_“Have they come to visit?”_

__

__

_Swallowing the painful lump down in her throat, she closes her eyes. “No.”_

__

__

_“I’m sorry.”_

__

__

_Regina opens her eyes to find Graham staring at her, his own gray orbs overflowing with sympathy. It’s as infuriating as it is comforting. “I wouldn’t have wanted my children here anyway…,” she murmurs, “…here in this environment, seeing me—their mother—like this.”_

__

__

_“That would make sense. But what about your husband?”_

__

__

_At his mentioning, Regina’s chest clenches painfully. “I don’t know. I mean Robin said he’d always support me no matter what happens. And I guess he still does… in his own way, but… I guess it all just got too much for him.” She chews on her lip, willing herself to not cry. “I can’t say I blame him.”_

__

__

_“Hey,” Graham says gently, “It’s not your fault. He’s his own keeper. If he doesn’t have the balls to come, then that’s his problem. But that doesn’t mean you’re alone. I know this place is anything but supportive, but I’ll tell you again, you have that in me. Anything you need, I’ll be here.”_

__

__

_Regina shakes her head, large eyes studying the officer. “Why do you want to help me so much?”_

__

__

_Graham shrugs. “Cause I know what it’s like,” he answers, “Believe it or not, I was in jail before. Well, it was juvenile detention but practically the same. My parents abandoned me the moment I was locked away. I had no one. Thankfully, I was able to turn my life around because of this one officer who took me under her wing. But I’ve seen what happens otherwise, when there really is no one.” The man furrows his brows, searching Regina’s wide brown eyes and making the brunette feel almost just as vulnerable as she has felt with Mal. “You’re too special of a woman to ever let that happen to you. Not if I can help it.”_

__

__

_Regina breathes out a long sigh. “Well, I suppose I do appreciate that sentiment,” she admits, “If only you weren’t so pushy about it.”_

__

__

_The officer smiles. “I actually did come for some more official business, though.”_

__

__

_“Oh?” Regina frowns. “What’s that?”_

__

__

_“How about a job,” Graham proposes, “Our last inmate who took care of postal delivery was just released and the spot’s up for grabs. Normally, you would apply for the job and if you have a good enough record in the prison to show that you’re trustworthy, they’ll hire you. But I wanted to come and offer it to you directly, before they put out the notice.”_

__

__

_“Why me?”_

__

__

_“Work is good for grief,” Graham answers with a shrug, “It’ll take your mind off things, also break up the monotony of each day. And I think you need it most out of everyone here. So what do you say?”_

__

__

_“Well, I do like to work.”_

__

__

_“Mm,” the officer hums, smirking, “I figured as much.”_

__

__

_“Excuse me?”_

__

__

_“Senior Fiction Editor? Seems like you were quite accomplished.”_

__

__

_Crossing her arms, Regina leans back. “Oh, so you did read my file.”_

__

__

_Graham laughs, eyes sparkling. “I got a little curious.”_

__

__

_“So, despite you asking earlier, you also know what I did.”_

__

__

_“That I do.”_

__

__

_“So?”_

__

__

_“So what, Regina?”_

__

__

_“That doesn’t bother you at all?”_

__

__

_“No,” Graham answers nonchalantly, taking the brunette by surprise, “Right or wrong, you acted just as one would in that situation.”_

__

__

~ ~ ~

“Thanks, Granny,” Regina says as she grabs her cup of coffee to go.

“You getting back into the swing of things?” Granny peers at the brunette from above the rims of her glasses.

Regina shrugs a shoulder. “More or less,” she replies, “Been busy as hell.”

“I can imagine,” the old woman agrees before adding with a more pointed look, “You know I saw Officer Humbert the other day. He stopped by for a beignet. Doesn’t he work at the district jail now? I thought maybe he was headed your way, assuming you ran into him there.”

Regina stiffens, but recovers quickly. “Yeah,” she says, “He was one of my cell block’s correction officers. I guess he just wanted to see how I was doing.”

“Mmm,” Granny hums thoughtfully, “Well that’s kind of him. Though I must say it’s rare for an officer like him to go out of his way and do something like that.”

The brunette shrugs. “I suppose. I was pretty surprised myself.” Needing an out, Regina glances at her phone. “I should get going,” she states, “My break’s almost over and I have a meeting.”

“You take care of yourself,” Granny bids, studying Regina one last time with a strange look on her face.

Regina decides to ignore it, giving the old woman a small smile and a nod before heading for the exit. She doesn’t get far from the diner when suddenly she spots a police car pulling up alongside her.

“Killian?”

“Hey love,” the officer says in his Irish drawl. “I saw you up ahead, hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Oh no,” Regina answers, “I was just on my way back to the office.”

Killian’s dark-eyed gaze travels up and down the brunette’s form, clad today in a gray pantsuit. “You look good. How’s the transition been?”

“Tiresome,” Regina says, “And stressful. But I’ll getting through it.”

The man smiles warmly. “I’m sure you will. You’re a strong woman, Regina. I’ve always admired that.”

The brunette’s eyes narrow as she snorts in reply. “You’re not just saying that because you still feel bad about having me arrested.”

“Well, I—”

Regina raises a hand. “Killian, it’s over and done with,” she sighs, “I don’t blame you at all for anything and neither should you. You were just doing your job.”

“Ay, but doing my job consisted of having to put you, who’s not only my friend but also my best friend’s wife, in handcuffs.”

The brunette huffs. “You did what you had to do. I don’t hold it against you and neither does Robin. And yes, he told me how you avoided him for the longest time afterward.”

“I admit that’s true.”

“Well that was ridiculous, you and Robin both for blaming yourselves for the things that happened when really the only one to blame is me.”

“You put far too much of a burden on yourself, love,” Killian says, “You must be bloody exhausted.”

“Yes, well story of my life,” Regina replies flippantly, “I deserve it.”

“You deserve a break.”

“Well it just so happens that I’m in the middle of one,” the brunette states, “One that actually is just about over.”

Killian raises a brow. “Well then, by all means, go back to working yourself to death.”

“Gladly,” Regina says before smirking wickedly, “Enjoy your patrol. That is, if you’re not just about to order your fifth muffin of the day.” Swiveling on her heel, she starts off.

The officer snorts a laugh. “How would you know?” He calls after her.

“I guess some things just don’t change,” Regina yells, throwing a teasing look over her shoulder before she continues on out of sight.

~ ~ ~

_Regina’s heart thrums with anticipation as the hour approaches. Rubbing her slightly damp palms, she waits in the day room, jumping each and every time the corrections officer calls out another inmate’s name._

__

__

_“No luck yet?” Mal asks, taking a seat beside her._

__

__

_Things have been somewhat awkward between the pair after their rather heated discussion from the other day. With Regina still in denial of her attraction to Mal, the latter was somewhat rendered useless in trying anything more to advance what she wanted as a relationship. Though, the blonde has understood that Regina has had other things occupying her mind as of late._

__

__

_Regina shakes her head. “No. Not yet,” she replies sullenly. “Visiting hours are almost over.”_

__

__

_“Almost but not yet,” Mal encourages, “Maybe he’ll come late.”_

__

__

_Regina groans, combing her fingers through her hair before tugging on the ends. “I don’t even know why I get so hopeful anymore,” she spits, “It just leads to more disappointment.”_

__

__

_“Hey,” Mal soothes, turning to face Regina. She lays a reassuring hand on the brunette’s arm. “It’ll be okay. Robin will have to turn up at some point or another. Like you said, maybe he’s just working things out.”_

__

__

_“Yeah, but working things out just means more pain for me.” Regina sighs, “I know I’m being selfish, and I really shouldn’t be because to be truthful, I deserve—”_

__

__

_“Regina, stop,” Mal interrupts, “I am well aware of what you think you deserve because you say it about twenty times a day. It’s getting very annoying, you know.”_

__

__

_The brunette blows out a long breath before her forehead falls forward to rest on her arms on the table. “It hurts,” she relents, for once not caring about having her walls up. “Everything just hurts.”_

__

__

_“I know, darling,” Mal whispers, pulling Regina up and towards her to wrap her arms around the brunette in a tight hug. “I know.”_

__

__

_The gesture prompts Regina’s heart to throb painfully as she leans her weight into the embrace. Soon, a few tears slip out from under her closed lids. They dribble down her cheek and end up forming a wet spot on Mal’s shoulder. Distantly, Regina registers the feeling of Mal’s fingers caressing the back of her head before she abruptly gets the feeling of being watched. Upon opening her eyes, the brunette finds a pair of steely green eyes staring right back at her. Regina and Mal part just as the corrections officer walks by, thankfully none the wiser. Though unfortunately, the same can’t be said for a certain redhead._

__

__

~ ~ ~

“Regina, you never called me!”

Regina groans. Leaning back in her chair, she raises a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry, Mary, but I’ve been swamped.”

“So everyone says.”

“God, I hate this town,” the brunette mutters before shaking her head. “Look, trust me, I haven’t forgotten about finding a time to get together. I just haven’t had a chance with all the stuff going on at work and with the family.”

“Is everything all right?” Mary Margaret asks.

“It’s as good as it can be right now,” Regina sighs, “It’s still awkward. Everywhere I go, I feel like there’s this aura around me that makes people just act weird. They’re either tiptoeing around me, ask how I’m doing for the millionth time, or just ignoring me completely. The sad thing is that it makes no difference whether I’m out or at home.”

“Surely Robin and the kids have been more supportive than many of the folks in this town who just care about gossip.”

Regina snorts. “You’re one to talk. You like to be in just about anybody’s business.”

“No,” Mary Margaret defends with a laugh, “I just like to talk. That’s all.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Regina, that’s besides the point. What about Robin and the kids?”

“They’re fine,” Regina shrugs, trying to sound nonchalant. “You know with kids, it takes them a while for them to adapt to change. So dial it up to our situation and yeah, it’s going to take some time.”

“And Robin?”

Regina inhales, letting out a long sigh. “It’s complicated…”

“What do you mean?”

“Mary Margaret, I’m still at work, you know. And so are you.”

“Oh come, Regina, the kids are in phys-ed, and you can spare two minutes.” Regina hears her friend heave a sigh. “Just answer me this. Are you guys okay?”

“I just said it’s complicated,” Regina says, “There’s just a lot we need to figure out.”

“You and Robin have always gone through tough periods and come out stronger than ever. I’ve got a fair amount of faith that you two can work things out.”

“Yes, but nothing like this has ever happened before,” Regina answers, “I think this entire time, not just now but for the whole of the past six years, we’ve been treading water. We didn’t know what to do then, how to handle anything, and that’s not changed. We walk on eggshells when around one another. Between the last time I was home and now, we as individuals have changed.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“I don’t know. I—I’m not the same woman I was before all this happened,” the brunette admits with a bit of hesitance. “There’s things that I’ve experienced—”

“Have you talked to Robin about them? If he understands, he can help you.”

Regina squeezes her eyes closed. “I know, but I’m afraid that what I’ll say will hurt him. And I can’t afford to cause him more pain. He doesn’t deserve it. It would break him.”

“What’s so bad that you can’t tell Robin?” Mary Margaret pries, “You told me once that you were so comfortable with him that you felt you could tell him anything.”

Regina grits her teeth, allowing a few moments silence as she swallows down the lump of overwhelming guilt that threatens to choke her. “Mary, I’ve been in jail. I’ve worn those orange jumpsuits. I’ve had my wrists cuffed behind my back. I’ve experienced an environment unlike any of us could imagine. Why would I ever want to invite Robin in sharing that memory?”

More silence. “You’ve got a point,” the other woman acquiesces. “But you know as they say, the truth always comes out. One way or another you’ll have to get it all off your chest.”

“I know,” Regina murmurs, deeply dreading the day. “I just feel like I’ve failed him—like I’ve failed everyone. I’m nothing to them.”

“Oh, Regina, you are everything to them.” Mary Margaret insists, her voice gentle like a mother soothing her child even though she is the one who’s younger. “I know for a fact that you mean more to them than any other person. Perhaps that’s why you believe they are acting so distant or standoffish. Regina, if you want your family to open up to you, you have to open up to them. It’s a two way street.”

“I know…”

“Think about it. And when you have the time, we’ll get together and talk more.”

“Thanks, Mary Margaret,” Regina says, rubbing a hand down her face. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Sure, just please don’t make me have to call you to get in touch.”

“I won’t.”

“Take care, Regina.”

“You too, Mary,” the brunette sighs, “And give my best to David.”

“Of course. We’ll need to schedule something with all of us at some point—with you, Robin, and the kids over at our place.”

“Yes, yes, but that’ll be a conversation for another time.”

“Bye now.”

Regina rolls her eyes, unable to help the small affectionate smile that peeks its way through. “Goodbye.”

Placing her cellphone back onto her desk, Regina shakes her head. It’s a typical thing Mary Margaret would do, that is nose her way into her business, wanting to be a part of everything that Regina goes through. The brunette knows she means well, wanting only the best for her and willing to help at the drop of a hat. Though, her inquiries can be quite exhausting, especially when one is not warned in advance. 

Having known the young brunette since they were in their early teens, Regina has learned to deal with Mary’s over-enthusiastic nature. In a way, the younger girl had seen Regina as a mother figure of sorts, which resulted in her constant clinginess. For a while, it was truly irritating despite the fact that part of Regina did feel bad, having known that much of the reason for Mary’s behavior was the fact that she lost her mother many years before. Therefore, the moment the pair met through a sort of business transaction between their parents, Cora Mills and Leopold White, a young Mary Margaret took an instant attachment to the older Regina who really couldn’t have cared less. The little bit of friendship and kindness that Regina did display, out of courtesy of her mother and Leo, was over-interpreted, resulting in a constant battle between Regina’s need for independence and Mary’s desire for her attention.

Now, as adults, Regina has come to recognize the benefits of their friendship over the years and grew far more affectionate for the younger brunette than she’d ever imagined. Especially now that Mary Margaret is Roland’s teacher, their history is an added bonus.

From the very start, Mary Margaret had been Robin and Regina’s biggest supporter. It was in fact she who first pushed Regina to open her heart and take that next step with Robin. Therefore, it’s understandable that she’s worried about the seeming decline in their relationship.

Regina sighs, thinking of her husband as he treks through the woods with his work buddies, hauling logs or cleaning up the trails. She knows she is being unfair, that’s she’s reverted back to when they’d first dated when she’d been so traumatized by her mother that she’d refused to break down the meticulously constructed around her. And it’s for the same reason: the fact that she would break Robin if he finds out the person she really is—weak, selfish, undeserving, unfaithful. And after everything that’s happened—Regina shakes her head. She’d much rather he be upset at her distancing herself than broken if he knows the truth. And just that right there is enough to make her feel like a monster.

Her cellphone suddenly rings again, rudely interrupting Regina from her dark thoughts. Frowning, the brunette peers at the phone to find the number being listed as from the high school. And her heart begins to be a little faster.

“Hello?” She answers.

“Ms. Locksley, yes?” A woman asks.

“This is she,” Regina says, chewing on her lip, “Who’s calling?”

“This is Principal Blue. I’m sorry to bother you but there’s been a fight at school that involved your son, Henry.”

Regina’s eyes widen as she shoots up from her chair. “What?! What happened? Is he okay?”

“He’s at the nurse right now, tending to a bruised eye and a cut lip.”

“Oh my God…” Regina covers her mouth, forcing herself to not hyperventilate. “Who did this to him?”

“Reports from the other students as well as Henry and the other boy Felix involved suggest that the latter had made some comments that angered Henry, causing him to retaliate.”

“Comments?” Regina demands, “What kind of comments?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but I know they were concerning you and your… situation.” The principal’s voice turns slightly sour, enough that it makes Regina’s blood begin to heat.

“I’m coming.” Regina grabs her coat and purse. Balancing the phone on her shoulder, she shuts down her desktop.

“Ms. Locksley, that shouldn’t be necessary. We have everything under—”

“No. I don’t care if you do or don’t, Ms. Blue,” Regina declares in a tone that’s not to be messed with. “I’m coming to get my son.”

And with that, she flicks the overhead light off. Her office door slams behind her as she just about runs down the hall, not even stopping to notify or even acknowledge Tink as well as the perplexed interns. One thing she does notice as she races towards the elevator is Nottingham’s full attention on her wild demeanor as she leaves right in the middle of the work day without a word. But Regina doesn’t have time to dwell on him as she rides the elevator down, choosing for once to ignore the wicked smirk on the man’s lips as he yet again relishes in her misfortunes.


	7. Patches and Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for a bit of a longer wait on this next chapter. Things are starting to pick up again and I'll be heading to Syracuse to start on a year-long master's program in advertising. Don't worry, though! I'm still setting my sights on continuing this fic throughout, as it's a perfect way to relax and escape!
> 
> Thanks for stopping by, enjoy!!

Regina arrives at the high school in record time to find Henry seated in the principal’s office with a bloody lip and an ice pack pressed against his cheek.

“Henry!” Regina cries immediately, not even taking time to acknowledge the principal herself as she kneels down in front of her son. “Oh my God, are you okay?” She cups his face, hand coming up to touch the ice pack. Pulling it gently from Henry’s cheek, she stares in horror at the angry-looking bruise that stretches across reddened skin.

“Mrs. Locksley,” Principal Blue says. Though she doesn’t get very far before the brunette is interrupting her.

“How could you’ve let this happen?!” Regina exclaims, beyond furious that anyone would ever hurt her boy. Sure she’ll willingly take a blow, but never her family.

“I’m afraid our teachers can’t be at five places at once,” Principal Blue defends, “This altercation happened in the furthest corner of the schoolyard.”

“That’s no excuse!” Regina yells. “You’re supposed to protect him.”

Suddenly, a loud obnoxious snort can be heard in response. “Please,” a man bellows, “Spare us your usual act of being the victim.”

Regina’s head whips around. Only then does she finally notice a a man standing off to the side. He maintains a firm grip on another boy who sports similar injuries as Henry’s, though they appear much less severe. She recognizes the pair immediately as Malcom and his son Felix. The father is known around town as a grumpy man with little to no friends, only working endlessly as the town’s blacksmith. It was rumored that Malcom abused Felix. Though, the Storybrooke police could never find enough evidence to fully build a case.

“I beg your pardon!” Regina says, coming to a stand to face the man.

“Figures it’s your kid of all people who’ll go and beat up my son.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

Malcom glances around her at a scowling Henry. “I knew the brat would be trouble. I see that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Perhaps we should just have you locked up right now, just like your mother should still be.”

“How dare you speak to my son like that,” Regina growls, stepping right into the man’s space. “Say all you want about me but leave Henry out of it. And I suggest that if you know what’s good for you, you’ll rein in your son. He has no right to speak of things he knows nothing about.”

“I don’t take orders from anyone, especially someone like you.”

“Keep talking to me like that, Malcom, and I’ll—” Regina balls her fists. She’s just on the brink of losing her composure when Principal Blue speaks up.

“Parents, that’s quite enough.” The principal glares at the two adults. “We aren’t here to argue over personal matters.”

“Principal Blue, that is exactly why Henry got hurt,” Regina objects, crossing her arms.

“Mrs. Locksley, it is written in our code of conduct that under no circumstances should a student strike a fellow classmate. And this isn’t the first time this has happened.” Blue glances pointedly at Henry. “Since it was he who threw the first punch, I’m afraid I’ll have to have him suspended for a week.”

Regina’s eyes bulge at the principal’s declaration. “What?! Surely Henry doesn’t deserve that.”

Malcom laughs. “I’d say it serves him right.”

Regina throws a dangerous look his way.

“Mr. Greene, your son had no right either to bully his peer in any context, especially over personal matters.” Blue looks to Felix. “Three days detention.”

“And Henry gets suspended for a week.” Regina throws her hands in the air. “Unbelievable.” Marching towards Henry, she helps him from the chair, wrapping a firm but protective arm around his shoulders. “Come, Henry, we’re going home.”

However, just as they turn their backs, Malcom can’t help one last jibe. “Maybe just have him homeschooled,” the man sneers, “Save us all the trouble that comes with having to associate with any of the likes of you.”

Shoulders tense and the vein on her forehead bulging, Regina continues forward. She wills herself to not let any of the insults get to either her or her son in particular, as they head towards the car.

~ ~ ~

_Three days into Regina’s postal delivery job, and she’s definitely starting to recognize the benefits of it with regards to breaking up the monotony of jail life. What’s most interesting is that she is able to see far more of the prison than the other inmates due to having to deliver letters to the different cell blocks, pods, and administrative areas. There’s a great deal of organization involved within her job and a ton of walking from place to place, but with the experience Regina has had with her former job, this one is most definitely a breeze—so much so that she wishes she were giving something a bit more challenging, more mentally stimulating._

__

__

_It’s greatly to Mal’s dismay that Regina had been hired, mainly for the fact that the latter will no longer be around as much as the blonde would’ve hoped. On the other hand, Regina is quite happy to spend time away from her cellmate, which means not having to face her dilemmas regarding her attraction to the blonde. Though, in getting away from Mal, Regina hadn’t realized that it would put her in far closer touch with Graham._

__

__

_“Please don’t tell me you got me this job just to get me alone more often,” Regina scoffs as Graham corners her in the empty mailroom. She brushes past him, moving to collect today’s delivery to be sent away from the prison. “That’s incredibly juvenile of you.”_

__

__

_“I see no harm being done,” Graham says with a shrug of a shoulder._

__

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_“You’re interrupting my work,” Regina replies sarcastically, “Getting in the way of my desperate need to earn a hefty paycheck of two dollars a day.”_

__

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_“Watch now, Regina,” Graham admonishes, “For some folks, this is quite the privilege after being out on the streets.”_

__

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_Regina sighs, proceeding to sort through the mail. “I know, I just—when I’m in work mode, I’m in work mode.”_

__

__

_The officer laughs. "I've never seen an inmate so dedicated to a job." Graham arches a brow, a little smirk playing on his lips as he leans against a filing cabinet. “Were you like this before in your previous job?”_

__

__

_“I suppose so,” Regina says, “People always have said that I work too much, even my husband.”_

__

__

_“And do you?”_

__

__

_Regina shrugs. “Yes. But I see nothing wrong with that. It’s rewarding, being able to see the finished product of what you’re working on—in my case, being able to see an amateur writer rise to fame after putting out a book you’d helped to get published.”_

__

__

_“What made you want to get into publishing?”_

__

__

_The brunette stops, thinking for a moment. “I don’t know, really,” she says, “It’s by far not my dream job or anything. But I guess I’d always loved books. Reading was something my mother really pushed on to me, one of the only things I didn’t mind because I loved the escape it provided.”_

__

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_“Do you think you’d ever publish something of your own?”_

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_Regina blinks surprisedly, glancing up at Graham’s curious expression as he tries to read her just as she would a manuscript. “I’ve never been asked that question before.”_

__

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_“Have you ever thought about it?” The officer presses._

__

__

_“Not really,” Regina answers truthfully, “I guess I’ve always been so busy editing other people’s writing that I’ve never really considered it.” Placing down a newly sorted pile into its allotted bin, the brunette grabs another stack of envelopes. “Also, what would I write about?” She laughs._

__

__

_“Your life? Your experiences?”_

__

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_“My life was relatively boring until this shit happened,” Regina says, waving a hand, “Even if I were to write about what happened, who would even read it?”_

__

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_“I would,” Graham says, “I’m sure you have an abundance of thoughts and emotions that would translate well into a book.”_

__

__

_Regina snorts. “You’re just saying that to butter me up,” she replies, rolling her eyes. “You know your compliments are really starting to get old.”_

__

__

_“Well, I guess I’ll just have to come up with something new then.”_

__

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_Regina’s eyes widen as she freezes mid-motion, envelopes in one hand, as Graham pushes himself off the cabinet and comes to stand toe-to-toe with her._

__

__

_“What are you—”_

__

__

_“I realized that you remind me of someone,” Graham murmurs, raising a hand to take the mail from Regina and place it back down onto the table. He touches her arms with both his hands, dragging them slowly up towards her shoulders. Regina remains frozen in place, clearly taken off guard as small bolts of electricity crawl up her skin despite her long sleeves. “A girl I’d had a crush on growing up in that trash neighborhood. She had long, thick, dark, wavy hair like you and eyes you can easily get lost in.”_

__

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_“What happened to her?” Regina asks, her own dark eyes locked into Graham’s shining gray ones._

__

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_“She died,” Graham answers, lifting a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Caught in the crossfire of a drive-by. I saw it happening.”_

__

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_“I’m sorry,” Regina whispers, really feeling that pang of sympathy._

__

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_“I never got to tell her how I felt. That’s just one of the many regrets that I have. So now my code is to live truthfully and to not hold back. Because if you really want to do something, if you hesitate, you may never get that chance again.”_

__

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_“That’s similar to what my friend told me when I was unsure about dating Robin,” Regina says, prying herself from Graham’s wandering hands and taking a step back. “Seize the moment, don’t me hold myself back.” She ignores the slightly disappointed look in his eyes._

__

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_“How did that work out for you?”_

__

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_Regina breathes a laugh. “Well, we’re married. We have two beautiful children whom we love above anything else.”_

__

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_“You love him.”_

__

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_Regina turns to stare at Graham, her brow raised. “Of course I do.”_

__

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_Graham smiles sadly. “That’s a shame.”_

__

__

~ ~ ~

“Have a seat and I’ll grab you a new ice pack,” Regina says as the pair head into the kitchen, having returned straight home after that whole debacle.

Henry takes a seat at the island, silently watching his mother as she clicks her way towards the freezer to grab a fresh pack to replace the now melted one he’d previously acquired from the nurse.

“Do you want a snack?” Regina asks after handing her son the new pack, “You can have whatever you want.”

“Aren’t you still working?” Henry questions, peeking up at her from around the frozen block that obstructs his view of her from the side.

Regina shrugs. “I’d rather stay with you,” she says, taking a seat across from him. “I’ll send a text later to August. He’ll understand.”

“You know you don’t have to babysit me,” Henry asserts with a frown, “I’m fine. Just a little bruised is all.”

“Maybe so, but what happened to you shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

Henry sighs, turning away. However, Regina keeps her eyes trained on her son, even if the current view is of the back of his head. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asks quietly.

The teenager shakes his head. “What’s there to talk about?” He says, “I got into a fight.”

“Over something that the other boy said,” Regina prompts, “Something he said about me.”

“It was nothing,” Henry sighs, “I shouldn’t have hit him.”

“But you did,” Regina says, tilting her head. “Why?”

Her son pauses for a moment before reluctantly turning back to catch his mother’s gaze. “He said that you’re a coward.”

“… And you didn’t like that.”

Henry shake his head. “I mean… yeah you’ve done bad things but I guess you don’t deserve to be called names.”

Regina blinks surprisedly. “I don’t.”

The boy sighs again. “No, you don’t.”

“But…” Regina frowns. “You were so angry with me.”

“Yeah, well I still am,” Henry states before leaning back against his chair, heaving a large groan. “I don’t know.”

Shaking her head, Regina smiles softly, reaching across the table to cup her son’s cheek. Her dark eyes shine with all the love she has. “Thank you, Henry,” she whispers, tears having begun to well up.

Henry furrows his brow. “You said in the office that Felix’s dad could say anything he wanted about you,” he says, “Why would you let him bully you like that? You always told me it’s important to defend myself. Why won’t you do the same?”

Regina exhales, pulling back her hand before resting her arms crossed on the table. “People have said many things about me, to me,” she explains, “I’ve been called names, horrible things. A liar, a murderer, a failure, a coward. And truth be told, I am all of that. I lied to everyone about what happened and in doing so, I am a failure and a coward because of it. And that’s something I’ll have to live with the rest of my life.” The brunette leans forward, her eyes piercing her son’s gentle gaze. “I’m willing to shoulder that burden because I brought this upon myself. So yes, I will let people talk about me. I can take it. But what I won’t stand for, Henry, is for either you or Roland to be targeted because of it.”

As Henry nods slowly, Regina can see the cogs turning in his mind as he mulls over what she just said. Her heart aches for him, for he is still far too young having to face these complicated issues—issues that shouldn’t have ever happened in the first place.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” He asks finally, his voice small and tentative.

Regina swallows hard, feeling fully naked and vulnerable like so many other times these past six years. “I was scared,” she confesses, “I was scared that I’d lose you and Roland, and your father. I was scared for our future and the future of our family. I didn’t want you to lose your mother, but…” Regina lowers her gaze. “… I realize now that the moment I decided not to tell any of you, and to act like nothing happened, you’d already lost me and I’d already lost you.”

Biting her lip, Regina keeps her eyes down at her arms that rest on the table. Fingers tightly clutch her biceps as she forces herself not to break down in front of her son. It’s then that she suddenly catches another hand come into view. It’s hesitant, hovering slowly above her arms before gradually descending down to rest on her right forearm. With widening eyes and parted lips, Regina lifts her head to meet her son’s gaze. It’s one that is so different from the one she’d grown used to seeing—one of disdain, anger, disappointment, hatred. This time, Henry stares at her with a softer, more sincere look. For the first time ever, Regina sees in her son’s gaze a sort of new understanding that hadn’t come about until now. And it’s enough for her to almost break down in tears. Lifting her hand, the brunette covers Henry’s with her own. And inside, her heart gives a small sigh in relief.

No further words needed to be exchanged as mother and son share the silence. It’s only until Henry’s stomach growls that both are letting out a few breathy chuckles before Regina reluctantly pulls her hands away from her son’s and comes to stand.

“If I can recall, before we were interrupted, I mentioned that you can have whatever you’d like for a snack,” Regina says, moving to make her way towards the cupboard. “You still have to decide.”

“I’ll take Oreos,” Henry answers.

“All right,” Regina obliges, “Oreos it is.”

“And Mom?”

Regina pauses mid-reach towards the Oreo pack. She turns around to face her son in time to see a small smile pokes its way through his serious expression. “Yes, dear?”

“Thanks,” Henry says, “Thanks for telling me the truth. And for standing up for me.”

Regina’s eyes water once again as she feels both ten times taller and just on the verge of melting in happiness at this small but significant affirmation that she can still do things right.

~ ~ ~

“Thanks for dinner, Mom,” Henry says, scooting his chair back. He stands, moving to collect everyone’s plates before heading back towards the kitchen, soiled dishes in hand. Both his parents stare at him in complete bewilderment.

“Do my eyes deceive me, or…?” Robin breathes.

Regina laughs. “Yes, that is our fifteen year old finally having some sense in him to for once clear the table without us having to ask.”

Robin shakes his head incredulously. “No, it’s much more than that,” he says, his wide blue eyes staring back at her. “All evening he’s acted different, more amicable—especially towards you.”

Regina smiles. “I suppose we came to an understanding,” she says softly, “We got to talk a bit after what happened today.”

Robin nods, having already been filled in with the details of the afternoon’s events the moment he’d arrived home. He wish he’d been able to get off work earlier. However, he found himself unable to leave whilst in the middle of a major construction project. Of course, Robin had found a way to make up for his absence, providing another ear to listen to and relaying his support much in the same way Regina had.

“I knew he’d still cared for you,” Robin replies, returning her smile with one of his own with his dimples carved deep into his cheeks.

Regina shakes her head, blushing as she lowers her gaze.

“He defended you.”

The brunette chuckles. “I suppose that’s how you can tell he’s my child,” she remarks.

“What do you mean?” Robin asks.

Regina shrugs a shoulder. “I just see so much of myself in him. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that if I were in his position, I’d do the same exact thing. In fact, disregarding the difference in circumstances I had done that exact same thing.”

“You mean with your parents?”

Regina nods. “With my mother. You know her. She both emotionally abused my father as well as myself. And because of that, I’d grown cold and distant towards her. Yet, she was my mother and I couldn’t help loving her through it all. You know, all those times I defended her when you’d tried to get me to see just how controlling she was?”

“She drove you to the brink of insanity.”

“And there I was, too blind to see it.”

“But the difference is that you’re not a bad person, Regina,” Robin says, reaching over to hold her hand. “And I highly doubt that Henry sees you that way as well. I think that comparison is unfair because you, Regina, are not like your mother. Henry’s love for you isn’t blind. It’s real, and it is deserved.”

Regina sighs deeply. “Whenever people talked about me, they always said that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Yes, well, you may have inherited her audacity, her no-nonsense character. But you have a heart, Regina. And that’s something that couldn’t have possibly come from Cora.”

Regina smirks a little, rubbing circles with her thumb on the back of Robin’s hand. “I’m glad you think so.”

Her husband smiles, leaning forward to press a lingering kiss to her lips. Regina emits a soft sigh, melting into him.

“If you guys are done, can I go play some Halo?”

Regina and Robin break apart, turning to find their son staring at them with a bored but slightly amused expression on his face.

“Homework?” Regina questions with a raise of her brow.

Henry shrugs. “Yeah well I’m not going to school for another week though.”

His mother shakes her head as her eyes roll to the ceiling. “I’m well aware, dear. And because of that, you’re going to be even more behind if you don’t stay on schedule with your schoolwork.”

Henry groans, shoulders slouching. “Can’t I just do extra tomorrow?”

Regina turns to her husband who gives her an arched brow and a smirk. “Fine,” she relents, “You have had a hard enough day.”

“Yes!” Henry exclaims before heading off to the living room.

Regina laughs, coming to a stand to clear the rest of the table. “Our sons spend way too much time playing those mindless video games.”

Robin chuckles. “They’re boys,” he says, “And they’re young so they have the time.”

As she heads into the kitchen, Regina throws a look over her shoulder at him, her brows lifted. “Is that the same excuse you’ll use for their father who I know does the exact same thing when the kids are in bed?” She teases.

Robin grins like the cat who swallowed the canary. “Hey, I’ve had some pretty rough days at work,” he defends.

“So have I,” Regina points out as she lowers the glasses into the sink.

“Agreed,” Robin says as he comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “But you aren’t the nerdy type.”

“Damn right I’m not. As you already know, I’m a little bit more refined than that,” Regina laughs, turning in his arms. She looks up at his sparkling blue eyes, the very first things she fell in love with so long ago, as her hands travel up his arms that remain circled around her.

“I’m sorry,” Robin says in a more serious tone.

Regina frowns, tilting her head.

“Just… for everything. I know things have been a bit rocky between us since you came home.”

“Robin…”

Shaking his head, Robin leans down, pressing a kiss to her lips that’s even deeper than the one before. Regina once more indulges in the feeling, letting her eyes slip closed. She softens into her husband’s embrace as he slides his hands up her from her waist, slowly making his way over her lower back. He leaves one hand pressed firmly there while the other continues its journey to reach up and cup the back of Regina’s head. Regina can’t help the contented hum that vibrates her lips against his. As she softens even further, the brunette can feel Robin’s soft tongue poke through her lips, delicately searching, asking for permission, to which she is quick to oblige. The deepened kiss is enough to send acute bolts of electricity that rejuvenates her nerves and pulses deep within her stomach. Warmth wraps around Regina like a blanket as she momentarily celebrates this specific feeling that has returned for the first time ever since she came home.

“I love you,” Robin whispers against her lips, making Regina’s heart both swell and ache at the same time.

“I love you too,” she replies, rubbing her nose with his.

~ ~ ~

_Regina is lounging on her bunk, doodling on a small pad of paper she’d managed to obtain as commissary from a portion of her wages. While she doesn’t consider herself even the slightest bit of an artist, the brunette indulges in the satisfaction of creating simple shapes or images. Today, she is feeling slightly bolder, trying to draw a still-life sketch of her cup of water and book that sit on the ledge by the window._

__

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_“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but that’s actually really good,” Mal says, peering over at Regina’s drawing._

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_Regina snorts a chuckle. “Thanks, but it’s not,” she replies, “I’ve made too many mistakes and the shading is horrific.”_

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_“I think you’re too hard on yourself, as usual. God, even when you try to do something relaxing, you just can’t. I’m convinced you don’t even have that setting in your hardware, like anywhere.”_

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_Regina raises a brow. “Is that an insult?”_

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_“No, dear, it’s an observation,” Mal asserts, “And you know it’s true.”_

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_“Maybe I just need something more interesting to draw.”_

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_“You can draw me.”_

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_Regina’s eyes widen as her head snaps up to find the blonde sprawled over on her own bunk, arms above her head, with a provocative look on her face._

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_“Draw me like one of your French girls,” Mal drawls sarcastically, though her voice drips with seduction._

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_Rolling her eyes, Regina shakes her head before focusing back on her pad. “You’re ridiculous.”_

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_“And you’re exasperating,” Mal says, standing up. “What does a girl have to do to get your attention?”_

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_“What?”_

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_“Please, Regina, I’m dying here.”_

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_Regina can’t help but laugh. “I think you just like the thrill of the chase.”_

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_“Ahah!” Mal exclaims suddenly, making the brunette jump slightly. “I think you like it.”_

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_“Excuse me?” Regina looks up, glaring at Mal as the blonde makes her way over to her bunk once more._

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_“You like the attention,” Mal clarifies with a knowing smirk, “You like being chased. I see it with me… and with Graham.”_

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_“You’ve got to be kidding. Where have I ever given you indication that I like this whole ridiculous game that you two like to involve yourselves with?”_

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_“Oh it’s very subtle,” Mal explains, “To an untrained eye, you look annoyed or irritated. But to me, I can see right through that deep down, you’re such a little minx.”_

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_Regina glares at the blonde as she feels her cheeks begin to burn._

__

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_“How else would you explain the fact that despite all of your rather meager attempts to push us away, you still end up indulging us?” Mal continues, coming to stand right above Regina’s seated position. The brunette hates the fact that she has to look up at the blonde. The whole perspective makes her feel inferior, and the blonde is already fairly tall in the first place. “You just can’t help yourself.”_

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_“I still don’t buy it. You know nothing.”_

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_“Regina, darling, you’re an open book despite how much you try to remain inconspicuous. I know you. And I know that you can be so frustratingly concrete at times, so I’ll give you proof.”_

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_Regina’s eyes widen as Mal swoops down and places both arms, one on each side of Regina’s legs on the bed, and captures the brunette’s lips in a searing kiss. And just as expected, and much to the brunette’s chagrin, Regina finds herself giving in as her lips pop open with a soft and sensual gasp. Mal immediately goes in for the kill, forcing her tongue through, thus deepening the kiss far more than those of hers that Regina has ever experienced before. The brunette can’t help but hum softly, warmth and electricity thrumming in her veins. Before she is even aware, her hands drop the pad and pencil to allow her fingers to reach up and thread through Mal’s long wavy blonde locks. She is lost completely in the moment, breaking from her trance only when the blonde pulls back slightly and flashes her with a triumphant grin—to which Regina can’t help but return with a small smile of her own._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions? Comments? Concerns? Pleas of mercy? XD


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